abusive
gb/əbjˈusɪv/ us/əbjˈusɪv/
B2
Engleză
~ 7400
Sensuri
0 sensuri
adjective
B2
property
1
cruel or violent to a person
hurting or being very cruel to someone again and again, especially in a close relationship or family
Tipar de utilizare:
[someone] is abusive toward [someone]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes confuse 'abusive' with 'abused'. 'Abusive' describes the person who causes harm (an abusive parent), while 'abused' usually describes the victim (an abused child). Another mistake is using the wrong preposition: English prefers 'abusive toward/to someone', not 'abusive with someone'.
Sinonime
cruel (focuses on lack of care or kindness; not always repeated or extreme like 'abusive'.)
|
violent (stresses physical attacks; 'abusive' can be physical, emotional, or psychological.)
|
oppressive (emphasizes heavy control and suffering; often used for systems as well as people.)
Antonime
caring (suggests kind, protective behavior instead of causing harm.)
|
supportive (highlights giving help and comfort, the opposite of repeated harm.)
|
respectful (focuses on treating someone with dignity instead of cruelty or control.)
Colocații
abusive relationship
|abusive partner
|abusive parent
|emotionally abusive
|physically abusive
|sexually abusive
Teme
relationships
|family
|violence
|emotions
|health
Exemple
- She finally left her abusive partner after years of emotional and physical harm.
- The report describes how the children were raised in an abusive home.
- He grew up with an abusive father who shouted at and hit the family.
- Friends had long suspected that the relationship was emotionally abusive.
- The organization offers a safe place for people escaping abusive situations.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- Her husband was abusive, so she moved out.
- He had an abusive childhood and is now in therapy.
- An abusive partner can hurt you even without hitting you.
- The boy was taken away from his abusive parents.
- She wants to help people in abusive relationships.
unknown
B2
property
2
insulting or offensive in language
using very rude or hurtful words to talk to or about someone
Tipar de utilizare:
abusive [noun]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes use only 'rude' when the situation is much stronger. 'Abusive' suggests very strong, repeated insults or threats, not just small impoliteness. Also, do not say 'an abuse language'; use 'abusive language'.
Sinonime
insulting (very close in meaning but a bit broader; not always as strong or aggressive as 'abusive'.)
|
offensive (stresses that the language upsets people; may be less personally targeted than 'abusive'.)
|
foul-mouthed (informal; focuses on frequent use of swear words.)
Antonime
polite (refers to language that is socially correct and not rude.)
|
respectful (stresses showing respect in speech instead of using hurtful words.)
|
civil (suggests basic politeness, especially in disagreements, the opposite of abusive comments.)
Colocații
abusive language
|abusive comments
|abusive messages
|abusive remark
|verbally abusive
|abusive tweet
Teme
communication
|internet
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Exemple
- The player was banned for posting abusive comments on social media.
- He shouted a stream of abusive language at the referee.
- She blocked the account after receiving several abusive messages.
- Abusive remarks about race or gender are not allowed on this platform.
- The teacher will not tolerate abusive behavior or verbally abusive jokes in class.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- He wrote abusive comments under her photo.
- The driver used abusive language when he was angry.
- She left the group chat because the messages were abusive.
- Please report any abusive posts to the website.
- The coach was fired for being verbally abusive to the team.
adjective
formal
C1
property
3
unfair or improper use of power
using power, rules, or a system in a bad and unfair way that hurts people
Tipar de utilizare:
abusive [system/practice/behavior]
Greșeală frecventă:
Learners sometimes use only 'bad' or 'not fair' for serious problems in systems or workplaces. In formal writing, 'abusive practices' is often better when power is used in a clearly harmful and unfair way. Do not confuse with 'abused', which usually describes people, not systems.
Sinonime
exploitative (focuses on taking unfair advantage of people, especially workers or the weak.)
|
oppressive (emphasizes heavy, unfair control or restrictions on people.)
|
improper (more general; 'abusive' adds the idea of harm or unfairness.)
Antonime
fair (describes behavior or systems that treat people justly, not abusively.)
|
ethical (suggests following moral rules, the opposite of abusive practices.)
|
lawful (stresses following the law; many abusive practices are illegal or nearly illegal.)
Colocații
abusive practices
|abusive working conditions
|abusive employer
|abusive police tactics
|abusive monopoly
|abusive tax shelter
Teme
law
|business
|politics
Exemple
- The new law is meant to stop abusive practices by powerful corporations.
- Workers protested against what they called abusive working conditions.
- The report accuses the company of using abusive contracts to control its suppliers.
- Civil rights groups condemned the police for their abusive tactics.
- The government is investigating several abusive tax arrangements used by large firms.
Exemple pentru cursanți
- The company was fined for abusive business practices.
- They changed the rules to prevent abusive use of the system.
- The workers complained about abusive conditions in the factory.
- The court said the contract was abusive and not valid.
- People marched to protest abusive actions by the police.
Gramatică
Forma de dicționar
abusive
IPA
GB/əbjˈusɪv/
US/əbjˈusɪv/
Silabe și accent
ab - us - ive (3 silabe)
Stress on 2nd syllable (us)
Forme ale cuvântului
Adjective
- Base: abusive
Familie de cuvinte
Core family
abuse
noun B1
Related words
abuser
noun
abusively
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
non-abusive
adjective
Advanced or less common
abusiveness
noun
Expresii
abusive behavior
1/əbjˈusɪv bɪhˈeɪvjɚ/
fixed phrase
pattern of harming someone
actions that often hurt, insult, or control someone in a serious and repeated way
Exemple
- The school has a zero-tolerance policy for abusive behavior.
- His abusive behavior towards colleagues led to his dismissal.
- They are teaching parents how to recognize and stop abusive behavior at home.
abusive comments
1/əbjˈusɪv kˈɑmɛnts/
fixed phrase
strongly insulting remarks
very rude or hurtful things that someone says or writes about a person or group
Exemple
- The post received hundreds of abusive comments before it was taken down.
- He was suspended for making abusive comments during the live stream.
- Moderators delete abusive comments to keep the discussion safe.
abusive language
1/əbjˈusɪv lˈæŋɡwɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
very rude or hurtful words
very rude, insulting, or hateful words used to talk to or about someone
Exemple
- Abusive language will not be tolerated in this forum.
- He was fined for using abusive language towards the referee.
- The contract allows the company to remove users who post abusive language.
abusive parent
1/əbjˈusɪv pˈɛɹənt/
fixed phrase
parent who harms their child
a mother or father who often hurts, scares, or strongly controls their child in a serious way
Exemple
- He grew up with an abusive parent and now finds it hard to trust people.
- Schools are trained to notice signs that a child may have abusive parents.
- The court removed the children from their abusive parent.
abusive partner
1/əbjˈusɪv pˈɑɹtnɚ/
fixed phrase
harmful or controlling romantic partner
a boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife who often hurts, controls, or scares the other person
Exemple
- Friends encouraged her to leave her abusive partner.
- There are hotlines for anyone who feels unsafe with an abusive partner.
- He did not see himself as an abusive partner, but his behavior was controlling and cruel.
abusive relationship
1/əbjˈusɪv ɹilˈeɪʃənʃˌɪp/
fixed phrase
relationship with repeated harm or control
a relationship where one person often hurts, controls, or scares the other person, physically or emotionally
Exemple
- She spent ten years in an abusive relationship before she was able to leave.
- Support groups can help people who are trying to get out of an abusive relationship.
- He did not realize he was in an abusive relationship until friends pointed out the signs.
physically abusive
1/fˈɪzɪkli əbjˈusɪv/
fixed phrase
hurting someone with physical force
hitting or using other physical force to hurt someone again and again
Exemple
- Her partner became physically abusive after losing his job.
- The report found that staff at the home had been physically abusive to residents.
- He denies ever being physically abusive towards his children.
sexually abusive
1/sˈɛkʃuəli əbjˈusɪv/
fixed phrase
forcing or misusing sexual contact
touching someone sexually or making them do sexual things without real consent, especially again and again
Exemple
- Several employees accused the manager of being sexually abusive.
- The charity supports people who have survived sexually abusive situations.
- He was arrested after witnesses reported his sexually abusive behavior.
verbally abusive
1/vɚbˈæli əbjˈusɪv/
fixed phrase
abusive through spoken words
using words again and again to shout at, insult, or hurt someone
Exemple
- Her boss was often verbally abusive during meetings.
- Even if he never hit her, being verbally abusive made the relationship unsafe.
- The coach was fired after parents complained that he was verbally abusive to the players.
emotionally abusive
1/ɪmˈoʊʃnəli əbjˈusɪv/
fixed phrase
causing repeated emotional harm
hurting someone's feelings and mind again and again by control, fear, or strong criticism
Exemple
- He never hit her, but he was emotionally abusive and very controlling.
- Therapists helped her understand that her partner's behavior was emotionally abusive.
- Growing up with emotionally abusive parents can affect a child for many years.
emotionally abusive
2/ɪmˈoʊʃnəli əbjˈusɪv/
fixed phrase
hurting someone’s emotions repeatedly
Treating someone in a cruel way that hurts their feelings and confidence again and again.
Exemple
- The relationship became emotionally abusive, so she decided to leave.
- Emotionally abusive behavior can be just as harmful as physical violence.
- He did not realize his comments were emotionally abusive.