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
Don Riddell, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
In the months before the $5 million match, Ali turned up the invective, calling Frazier dumb, mocking his dark skin, and painting him as a lackey for his white handlers.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman as a married couple whose once-happy relationship dissolves into invective and hatred under the pressures of modern life.
—EW.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for invective
Noun
Rory McIlroy was the lightning rod for the invective, and so was his wife.
—Adjective
Kirk knew this and was quite successful at playing this game, using social media to spread invective, troll his political opponents, polarize his audience, and grow his movement.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for invective
Noun
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The child's mother reported to Child Protective Services that the abuse occurred between November 2022 and spring 2024, the complaint said.—
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On one hand, some argue that Good was attempting to leave the scene, and a trigger-happy ICE agent fired his weapon at her, an abuse of authority.—
Adjective
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On The Rookie, Jenna Dewan shared screentime with her real-life fiancé, Steve Kazee, who played her frightening, abusive husband, Jason Wyler.—
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The story follows a young woman, a lifelong swimmer and Olympic hopeful, who accepts a college swimming scholarship in Texas in order to escape an abusive father and an alcoholic, suicidal mother.—
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.—
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The politicization of the COVID response has only worsened this trend, likely resulting in part from Trump’s vituperation.—
Adjective
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Many researchers cite those exact words as insulting or wrong when asked about their own terminations.—
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With two toddlers and a 10-hour workday for her husband, the advice was more insulting than helpful.—
Noun
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In what could be a scene straight out of the official Netflix movie, a comment intended as an insult instead galvanized the troops.—
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The article does not even state the names of all the candidates in the race, an insult to those who polled higher than Leon.—
Adjective
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De Laurentiis took all the chaos in stride and was the expert judge for the cooking portion of the outrageous lineup of competitions.—
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The lawsuit also alleges WSU was liable for claims of outrageous conduct and other forms of negligence.—
Noun
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And cornerback Mike Jackson, who had four pass breakups and an interception in the playoff game, dismissed criticism of Evero’s play-calling on the defense’s final drive.—
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The couple, who did not grow up knowing one another because of estrangements in their families, faced criticism from both sets of parents for the union.—
Adjective
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Juxtaposed with these vituperative remarks are, naturally, shots of Trump seemingly falling asleep while on camera.—
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From his pulpit, Wicks rains down selectively vituperative fire and brimstone, with an eye toward provoking walkouts from unsuspecting visitors—say, a gay couple or a single mom.—
Cite this Entry
“Invective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invective. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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