as in abuse
harsh insulting language
hurled curses and invective at the driver who heedlessly cut them off in traffic
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in abusive
marked by harsh insulting language
an overbearing, bullying boss who is fond of sending invective e-mails to long-suffering assistants
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of invective
Lauren Elkin, New York Times, 20 May 2025
Oilers fans booed the American national anthem, and one woman used a lull to shout an invective about Mr. Trump.
—John Branch, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2025
Brian Steinberg, Variety, 28 Apr. 2025
Photo: YouTube Cummings is known as a roast comic, an artist of invective.
—Kerry Howley, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for invective
Noun
Mike the promoter and his right-hand man, Shorty, a person with dwarfism who comes in for page after page of ableist invective.
—Lauren Elkin, New York Times, 20 May 2025
Oilers fans booed the American national anthem, and one woman used a lull to shout an invective about Mr. Trump.
—John Branch, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
In the same year, Disney’s ESPN had to contend with host Pat McAfee, a rambunctious host, hurling invective at a former senior executive, Norby Williamson, who the host alleged had tried to sabotage his program.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 28 Apr. 2025
Photo: YouTube Cummings is known as a roast comic, an artist of invective.
—Kerry Howley, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for invective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for invective
Noun
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Christy Corcoran, a nearby homeowner who took part in the camp cleanup, said the animal abuse is a sign of the bad actors who can swarm to large homeless camps.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
26 July 2025
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Federal prosecutors later say the abuse began as early as 2002.—
Bill Chappell,
NPR,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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Samuel Dunham, 12, said he was adopted from an abusive family.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
11 July 2025
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The administration has cited a need to counter China’s abusive trade practices, but this is undermined by the 25 percent tariff on Japanese goods.—
The Editors,
National Review,
10 July 2025
Noun
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Flash forward 92-plus years to Donald Trump’s rally Sunday at New York’s Madison Square Garden, a bleak, lurid festival of racist hate and profane vituperation so vile that even fellow Republicans, who have turned a blind eye to Trump’s character for years, are distancing themselves from the event.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Oct. 2024
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The politicization of the COVID response has only worsened this trend, likely resulting in part from Trump’s vituperation.—
Matt Motta,
Scientific American,
29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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And then, especially in the past several years, friends who stayed say: Honestly, this is kind of insulting—the way people keep talking about Lebanon from afar.—
Sahar Delijani
July 17,
Literary Hub,
17 July 2025
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The deliberate and insulting call-out immediately sent the wrestling world into a frenzy.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
Noun
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And the gratuitous insults—to NATO allies, the European Union, the BRICs, the United Nations, or the World Health Organization—continue to flow from the president.—
MARGARET MACMILLAN,
Foreign Affairs,
21 July 2025
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The Steals and Deals segment on the WFTV newscasts are annoying and an insult to the viewers!—
Ticked Off,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 July 2025
Adjective
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The film series' latest installment — Madea's Destination Wedding — premiered on Netflix on July 11 and has proven to be one of the franchise's most outrageous chapters yet.—
Emily Blackwood,
People.com,
14 July 2025
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Insult to injury, large change orders provided again without explanation to a firm with direct political connection to the city administration — outrageous!—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
13 July 2025
Noun
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The Washington football franchise changed its name from the Washington Redskins to the Commanders after decades of criticism about its name and logo.—
Annabella Rosciglione,
The Washington Examiner,
20 July 2025
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Chicago Sky star Angel Reese was one of many WNBA players who have expressed criticism of the league's handling of negotiations.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
20 July 2025
Adjective
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Transcripts of the depositions conducted by utility lawyers were made public Friday in Superior Court and hundreds of pages of questions and answers suggest questions about who contributed what to the vituperative oped may never be answered to everyone’s satisfaction.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
25 July 2025
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On Wednesday, the President faced a barrage of ominous developments that might have fazed another leader—a worrisome jobs report, losses in federal court related to four of his signature policies, an increasingly vituperative public breakup with Elon Musk.—
Susan B. Glasser,
New Yorker,
5 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Invective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invective. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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