as in abuses
harsh insulting language
hurled curses and invective at the driver who heedlessly cut them off in traffic
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Recent Examples of invectives
At one point, the crew shot a scene in which Whalen’s character joins a bar fight, shouting invectives at a hapless extra before pummelling him to the ground.
—
Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Riley would have invented invectives.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
Today’s writers use it to wildly different ends, from political invectives to plainspoken diaries to surreal dreamscapes.
—Patrick Dundon, JSTOR Daily, 9 Apr. 2026
Chang Che, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026
Riley would have invented invectives.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Apr. 2026
Today’s writers use it to wildly different ends, from political invectives to plainspoken diaries to surreal dreamscapes.
—Patrick Dundon, JSTOR Daily, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for invectives
Noun
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He was arrested in Chile in 2005, extradited to Peru in 2007, and later convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison for human rights abuses, in addition to other yearslong sentences for corruption.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 May 2026
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This frustrating bureaucratic situation has been part of California’s landscape for 50-plus years and there’s been no hope to rein in the abuses, but the tide seems to be turning following a variety of court cases and legislative efforts to limit the commission’s powers.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
1 May 2026
Noun
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The president has spent a decade calling his rivals communists and traitors, among other hyperbolic insults.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
-
According to Politico, the conversation was nothing but a tirade of insults.—
Tom Jurkowsky,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This is the latest rant in a string of fulminations against the ABC late-night host over the past few days since Kimmel mocked the relationship between the first lady and POTUS late last week.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Faced with these criticisms, SEJ affirmed its commitment to ethical journalism centered on objectivity and balanced news reporting.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
1 May 2026
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After Democrat Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race and Xavier Becerra became a surprise contender, Lee began retweeting criticisms of the former California attorney general, several of which focused on a $39,200 donation Becerra’s campaign received last summer from the oil company Chevron.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Tens of millions of downloads deep, among discussions regarding ongoing bear curses and the quiet art of being a decent person, Drew Barrymore has asked about boogers and Jane Fonda has asked about hope.—
Brittany Delay,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
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There are still deliveries of hate mail from conservative neighbors who disapprove of their lifestyle, and occasional drive-bys punctuated with curses yelled from car windows, but they’ve largely been accepted by the community.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Invectives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invectives. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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