invective

[in-vek-tiv]

noun

1. vehement or violent denunciation, censure, or reproach.

   Synonyms: scorn, contumely

2. a railing accusation; vituperation.

3. an insulting or abusive word or expression.

adjective

1. vituperative; denunciatory; censoriously abusive.

invective

/ ɪnˈvɛktɪv /

noun

1. vehement accusation or denunciation, esp of a bitterly abusive or sarcastic kind

adjective

1. characterized by or using abusive language, bitter sarcasm, etc

Other Word Forms

• invectively adverb
• invectiveness noun
• uninvective adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of invective¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of invective¹

C15: from Late Latin invectīvus reproachful, scolding, from Latin invectus carried in; see _inveigh

Synonym Study

See abuse.

Example Sentences

Perched in his art-filled château in the south of France, the British expatriate spent years hurling invectives at, falling out with or blatantly undermining an astonishing number of people.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

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.

Read more on Salon

He is, however, at least slightly better dressed than a peasant screaming invectives in a whiny British accent.

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Do’s willingness to involve his family in his scheme pointed to his “moral indifference,” prosecutors said, while his campaign of invective against the press aggravated his culpability.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Or to believe it's compassion to scream invective at a woman entering an abortion clinic, which gets reimagined as "counseling" the women to stop sinning.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• denunciation 
• diatribe 
• epithet 
• tirade