What does "abusive" mean?
Abusive: Given to misusing; also, full of abuses. [Archaic] "The abusive prerogatives of his see." Hallam.
Additional senses
- 2.Practicing abuse; prone to ill treat by coarse, insulting words or by other ill usage; as, an abusive author; an abusive fellow.
- 3.Containing abuse, or serving as the instrument of abuse; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous. "An abusive lampoon." Johnson.
- 4.Tending to deceive; fraudulent; cheating. [Obs.] "An abusive treaty." Bacon.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00