Definition

The state or quality of being harmful or cruel, often involving harsh words or actions towards others.

Example

The abusiveness in his tone made it clear that he was not open to discussion.

Conversation

I can't believe how much abusiveness I've seen online lately.

Yeah, it’s really shocking how people talk to each other.

Exactly! It makes me think about how important it is to be kind.

Totally, we need to promote more positivity instead.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Abusiveness is formed from "abuse" (from Latin "abusus", meaning misuse or wrong use) and the suffix "-ness" (meaning the state or quality of). The word "abusiveness" refers to the state of being abusive or the quality of misusing power or authority.

Memory Tip

Think of 'abuse' as a wrong use of something, and '-ness' indicates a state. So, abusiveness means the state of being in a wrong or harmful way.

Visually Confused Words