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abusive

Adjective CEFR C2 Standard
əˈbjuː.sɪv

Definitions

  1. Prone to treat someone badly by coarse, insulting words or other maltreatment; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous.
  2. Tending to deceive; fraudulent.
  3. Tending to misuse; practising or containing abuse.
  4. Being physically or emotionally injurious; characterized by repeated violence or other abuse.
  5. Wrongly used; perverted; misapplied; unjust; illegal.
  6. Catachrestic.

Equivalents

Españolabusivo
Françaisabusive
Portuguêsabusivo
13 more languages

Examples

All they could ever do was to shout abusive inanities at me and my colleagues.”
“an abusive treaty
“[…] to begin in this vacation the foundation of a trifling subject which might shroud in his leaves the abusive enormities of these our times.”
the abusive prerogatives of his see
“I am […]necessitated to use the word Parliament improperly, according to the abusive acceptation thereof.”

CEFR level

C2
Mastery
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.
See all C2 English words →

See also

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