abusive

/əˈbjuː.sɪv/

//əˈbjuː.sɪv// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"abusive" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“abusive” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,633 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#8,633
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Prone to treat someone badly by coarse, insulting words or other maltreatment; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

abusive vs abuse
71% similar
abusive vs abrasive
75% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for abusive
PropertyValue
Headwordabusive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/əˈbjuː.sɪv/
Letters7
Frequency rank#8,633
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “abusive” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). abusive lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for abusive is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈbjuː.sɪv/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,633 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for abusive, with forms such as "abbusive", "absuive", and "abuisve". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "abuse", "abrasive", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in the 1530s. From French abusif, from Latin abūsīvus, from abusus + -ivus (“-ive”). Equivalent to abuse + -ive. The correct English form is abusive, spelled A-B-U-S-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Prone to treat someone badly by coarse, insulting words or other maltreatment; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous.
  2. 2
    Tending to deceive; fraudulent.
  3. 3
    Tending to misuse; practising or containing abuse.
  4. 4
    Being physically or emotionally injurious; characterized by repeated violence or other abuse.
  5. 5
    Wrongly used; perverted; misapplied; unjust; illegal.
  6. 6
    Catachrestic.

Etymology

First attested in the 1530s. From French abusif, from Latin abūsīvus, from abusus + -ivus (“-ive”). Equivalent to abuse + -ive.

Synonyms

reproachfulscurrilousopprobriousinsolentinsultinginjuriousoffensiverevilingberatingvituperative

Antonyms

abuselessnonabusiveunabusive

This word in other languages

abusivo(Español)abusivo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abbusive,absuive,abuisve,abusiev,abusivve,abussive,abusvie,aubsive,bausive

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of abusive - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

abbusive1absuive2abuisve2abusiev2abusivve1abussive1abusvie2aubsive2
Edit distance from "abusive"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "abusive"?
"abusive" is spelled A-B-U-S-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈbjuː.sɪv/.
What does "abusive" mean?
As an adjective, "abusive" means: Prone to treat someone badly by coarse, insulting words or other maltreatment; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous.
What words are commonly confused with "abusive"?
"abusive" is commonly confused with "abuse", "abrasive". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "abusive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abusive" is /əˈbjuː.sɪv/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "abusive"?
First attested in the 1530s. From French abusif, from Latin abūsīvus, from abusus + -ivus (“-ive”). Equivalent to abuse + -ive. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “abusive”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-B-U-S-I-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˈbjuː.sɪv/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “abuse” - see the side-by-side comparison. abusive vs abuse
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list