abusive
English edit
Etymology edit
First attested in the 1530s. From French abusif, from Latin abūsīvus,[1] from abusus + -ivus (“-ive”).[2] Equivalent to abuse + -ive.
Pronunciation edit
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əˈbjuː.sɪv/
- (US) IPA(key): /əˈbju.sɪv/, /əˈbju.zɪv/
Audio (UK) (file)
Adjective edit
abusive (comparative more abusive, superlative most abusive)
- Prone to treat someone badly by coarse, insulting words or other maltreatment; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous. [First attested in the early 17th century.][3]
- All they could ever do was to shout abusive inanities at me and my colleagues.
- (obsolete) Tending to deceive; fraudulent. [Attested only from the early to mid 17th century.][3]
- a. 1627 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “Considerations Touching a VVarre vvith Spaine. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany VVorks of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. […], London: […] I. Hauiland for Humphrey Robinson, […], published 1629, →OCLC:
- an abusive treaty
- (archaic) Tending to misuse; practising or containing abuse. [First attested in the late 16th century.][3]
- 1589, Thomas Nashe, The Anatomy of Absurdity:
- […] to begin in this vacation the foundation of a trifling subject which might shroud in his leaves the abusive enormities of these our times.
- 1837, Henry Hallam, Introduction to the Literature of Europe:
- the abusive prerogatives of his see
- Being physically or emotionally injurious; characterized by repeated violence or other abuse.
- Wrongly used; perverted; misapplied; unjust; illegal. [First attested in the mid 16th century.][3]
- 1662, Thomas Fuller, Worthies of England:
- I am […] necessitated to use the word Parliament improperly, according to the abusive acceptation thereof.
- (archaic) Catachrestic. [First attested in the mid 16th century.][3]
Synonyms edit
- (prone to treating badly): reproachful, scurrilous, opprobrious, insolent, insulting, injurious, offensive, reviling, berating, vituperative
Antonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
wrongly used
|
practicing abuse
containing abuse
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
References edit
- ^ Laurence Urdang (editor), The Random House College Dictionary (Random House, 1984 [1975], →ISBN), page 6
- ^ Philip Babcock Gove (editor), Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged (G. & C. Merriam Co., 1976 [1909], →ISBN), page 8
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief, William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “abusive”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 10.
French edit
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
abusive
Italian edit
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
abusive
Anagrams edit
Latin edit
Pronunciation edit
- (Classical) IPA(key): /a.buːˈsiː.u̯e/, [äbuːˈs̠iːu̯ɛ]
- (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /a.buˈsi.ve/, [äbuˈs̬iːve]
Adjective edit
abūsīve
References edit
- “abusive”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press