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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of invective
John Branch, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2025
That decision, highly unusual in Japan, earned her some support from politicians, but a tide of abuse and invective on social media from people dismissing her claims.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 17 Feb. 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
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
That decision, highly unusual in Japan, earned her some support from politicians, but a tide of abuse and invective on social media from people dismissing her claims.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 17 Feb. 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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ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.—
Cassandra Jaramillo,
ProPublica,
12 July 2025
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Many of these complications are meant to either limit the cost of tax breaks or to prevent anticipated abuses.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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A far cry from the mild-mannered Peter Parker in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films, Tully is an abusive, hot-headed, and greedy slime ball who leverages post-war desperation into a thriving criminal business.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
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Otero Cruz, from Women Against Abuse, said leaving an abusive relationship is the most dangerous time for survivors.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
1 July 2025
Noun
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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
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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
Adjective
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Stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni is insulting because a macaroni was a pejorative term used to describe a fashionable man with feminine traits of 18th-century Britain.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
2 July 2025
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Conversations revealed an ongoing dialogue that was not only deeply insulting to Read, but morally offensive to women broadly.—
Gemma Allen,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Adding insult, he was called for eight fouls in Tuesday night’s victory over the Golden State Warriors, with players allowed 10 in summer league, four above the regular-season maximum.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
9 July 2025
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Amid the mix of compliments and insults from obvious trolls, many thought ATB bore a striking resemblance to another member of the family.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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But those first two seasons are really timeless — thrilling, ambitious, outrageous to this day.—
Los Angeles Times Staff,
Los Angeles Times,
3 July 2025
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In the midst of the investigation, Mayo launched an outrageous attack on Pryor’s credibility and released part of her personnel file from her 26-year career in Fort Lauderdale to question why Moore hired her.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
2 July 2025
Noun
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The unusually blunt and sobering assessment drew sharp criticism, including from her colleagues.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 July 2025
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Nearly a dozen law enforcement agencies statewide have signed partnership agreements with ICE, drawing criticisms from some residents.—
Lucas Aulbach,
The Courier-Journal,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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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
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Even before Trump took office, many scientists were reluctant to engage with the topic, for fear of being drawn into what has been a very public and vituperative debate.—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Invective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invective. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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