invective implies a comparable vehemence but suggests greater verbal and rhetorical skill and may apply to a public denunciation.
blistering political invective
obloquy suggests defamation and consequent shame and disgrace.
subjected to obloquy and derision
billingsgate implies practiced fluency and variety of profane or obscene abuse.
directed a stream of billingsgate at the cabdriver
Example Sentences
Noun He subjected his wife to physical and emotional abuse. the buying of votes and other election abuses She was subjected to every term of abuse her boss could think of. a torrent of verbal abuse The prisoner hurled abuse at the judge. Verb He was accused of sexually abusing a child. He abused his body with years of heavy drinking. He had abused his first car by not taking care of it. She abused her friend's trust. a senator who abuses his power He abused my confidence by letting this secret be known. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The youth was found, but due to the allegations of abuse, police began an investigation.cleveland, 8 Sep. 2022 At least a dozen women reported allegations of abuse at the ranch to the Park County Sheriff’s Office in 2019. Tyler Kingkade, NBC News, 7 Sep. 2022 Lily-Rose came to her father's defense in 2016 after Heard first accused the actor of abuse. Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 7 Sep. 2022 Did Gabby Petito police footage reveal subtle signs of abuse, gaslighting from Laundrie? Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 2 Sep. 2022 Paige Lorenze, Hammer's ex-girlfriend, who also publicly accused him of abuse last year, is also featured via archived clip. Jessica Wang, EW.com, 2 Sep. 2022 Ryan Reiter, appointed Friday to the Broward School by Gov. Ron DeSantis, was accused by a former fiancee of abuse in a court filing five years ago. Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2022 Buchanan praised the victim’s bravery in reporting Wisener’s crimes after suffering years of abuse. Henri Hollis, ajc, 29 Aug. 2022 Criminal charges and details recorded in a civil lawsuit suggest a pattern of abuse by a teacher and years of negligence on behalf of those meant to monitor his behavior and protect students. Taylor Hartz, Hartford Courant, 29 Aug. 2022
Verb
In the Monday press conference, Sun tried to reassure the public that Hong Kong authorities would not abuse their power and would responsibly handle people’s data. Grady Mcgregor, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2022 Some worried that individuals with malicious intentions might abuse the feature. Chris Smith, BGR, 28 July 2022 Maxwell, who once consorted with royals, presidents and billionaires as the daughter of a British publishing magnate, was convicted of luring teenage girls for Epstein to abuse. Michael R. Sisak And Micheal Balsamo, USA TODAY, 26 July 2022 Prosecutors accused the British socialite of recruiting and grooming girls as young as 14 for Epstein to abuse. Rich Schapiro, NBC News, 17 June 2022 The deal also calls for commitments to abuse victims that include youth protection measures, a reporting system and the formation of a Child Protection Committee.Washington Post, 2 July 2021 Because of the inclination by some humans to exploit or abuse the snakes, the specifics of the locations are not disclosed to the public. Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2022 Educational campaigns have dispelled common false claims, including that spiteful ex-spouses can easily abuse the system to permanently disarm former partners. Kimberly Kindy, Washington Post, 18 July 2022 Carliss Chatman, an associate law professor at Washington and Lee University in Virginia, said certain civil remedies can also be a mechanism for men to continue to abuse their former partners through the court system. Nicole Santa Cruz, ProPublica, 19 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin abūsus "misuse, waste," noun derivative from abūtī "to exhaust, use up, misuse," from ab-ab- + ūtī "to use entry 1"
Verb
Middle English abusen, borrowed from Anglo-French abuser, verbal derivative of abuseabuse entry 1