noun
adjective
Synonym Usage
See abuse.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of invective
1400–50; late Middle English < Late Latin invectīvus abusive, equivalent to Latin invect ( us ) (past participle of invehī to attack with words, inveigh ) + -īvus -ive
Explanation
Invective is harsh, abusive language, like "you dirty rotten scoundrel." I'm sure you can think of harsher and more obscene examples, but we won't get into them here. Invective comes from the Latin for "abusive." It kind of sounds like a harsh word, actually, with those sharp, dagger-like V's. People usually put a colorful verb or phrase before it. Some examples: "She spewed invective," "She hurled invective," "She burst forth into invective." You can follow it with a phrase like, "picking up her plate and throwing it across the room."
Vocabulary lists containing invective
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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To Kill a Mockingbird
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They follow a pledge by leader Kim Jong Un to bolster nuclear forces, as Pyongyang reaps the benefits of deeper ties with Russia and sharpens its invective against US ally South Korea.
From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026
But it’s fair to say that Reagan never indulged in outright name-calling or hateful invective, stressed his desire for negotiation over confrontation and left the nuclear saber-rattling to subordinates.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2025
This invective is delivered with a sneer, a wink, and finally a cackle of laughter.
From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2025
Although insults and invective are hardly uncommon in exchanges over COVID’s origins, their contributions have often carried a remarkably noxious tone.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 20, 2024
The key thing about invective or ad hominem attack is that it is a sort of reverse ethos appeal: the purpose is to isolate your opponent from the community.
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
