invective

Speech parts

1. invective - Noun

2. invective - Adjective

Meaning

Characterized by invection; critical; denunciatory; satirical; abusive; railing.

An expression which inveighs or rails against a person; a severe or violent censure or reproach; something uttered or written, intended to cast opprobrium, censure, or reproach on another; a harsh or reproachful accusation; -- followed by against, having reference to the person or thing affected; as an invective against tyranny.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Hypernyms

Phrases with the word

Examples

Precisely because Marx was convinced that the cause of the proletariat was of decisive importance for the whole future of mankind, he wanted to create for that cause not a flimsy platform of rhetorical invective or wishful thinking, but the rock-like foundation of scientific truth. Ernest Mandel

I am inclined to believe that few attacks either of ridicule or invective make much noise, but by the help of those they provoke. Samuel Johnson

To the more judicial and scientific temper of our day their invective would seem overdrawn and their sympathy would seem partisanship. In Jeremiah and in the prophetic psalms the poor as a class are made identical with the meek and godly, and "rich" and "wicked" are almost synonymous terms. Walter Rauschenbusch

I admit that invective is one of my pleasures. This only brings me problems in life, but that's it. I attack, I insult. I have a gift for that, for insults, for provocation. So I am tempted to use it. Michel Houellebecq

The mark of a healthy democracy is the preference for argument rather than invective. Those are the roots the left must reclaim. Stephen L. Carter

Chomsky just has not entered deeply into what he is talking about and he is not greatly interested in anything except digging out material for anti-American invective. Adrian Hastings

Close letter words and terms