verbal abuse
noun
: harsh and insulting language directed at a person
She was a victim of verbal abuse.
Examples of verbal abuse in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Teachers cited challenges in enforcing school policies on student cellphone use and reported instances of verbal abuse, with 40% experiencing physical violence from students.2
High school teachers particularly also note issues of chronic absenteeism, anxiety, and depression.
—
Kristina Behr, Parents, 4 Apr. 2024
Patients hurl verbal abuse at Michelle Ravera every day in the emergency room.
—Sejal Parekh, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
Others saw signs of physical or verbal abuse and said red flags were raised to police and state social services over the years.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 10 Feb. 2024
In a separate incident in 2020, Bell was accused of physical and verbal abuse by an ex-girlfriend.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 2 Apr. 2024
Grace Jabbari, a 31-year-old British dancer, filed the action in federal court in Manhattan, claiming Majors subjected her to escalating incidents of physical and verbal abuse from 2021-23.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 22 Mar. 2024
Christians in the Old City are regularly the target of spitting and verbal abuse by Orthodox Jews.
—Lauren Izso, Brahim Dahman and Ibrahim Hazboun, CNN, 4 Feb. 2024
In interviews with The New York Times, more than a dozen women involved in Spanish soccer described more than a decade of systemic sexism ranging from paternalism and offhand remarks to verbal abuse.
—Jeré Longman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2023
With heroic dedication and resolve, Bob (Kevin Smith) endures Jay's verbal abuse (nicknames like ''fatty,'' ''lunchbox,'' and ''tons of fun'') and selflessly/wordlessly dispenses advice with a meaningful nod.
—Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024
Kristina Behr, Parents, 4 Apr. 2024
Patients hurl verbal abuse at Michelle Ravera every day in the emergency room.
—Sejal Parekh, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
Others saw signs of physical or verbal abuse and said red flags were raised to police and state social services over the years.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 10 Feb. 2024
In a separate incident in 2020, Bell was accused of physical and verbal abuse by an ex-girlfriend.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 2 Apr. 2024
Grace Jabbari, a 31-year-old British dancer, filed the action in federal court in Manhattan, claiming Majors subjected her to escalating incidents of physical and verbal abuse from 2021-23.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 22 Mar. 2024
Christians in the Old City are regularly the target of spitting and verbal abuse by Orthodox Jews.
—Lauren Izso, Brahim Dahman and Ibrahim Hazboun, CNN, 4 Feb. 2024
In interviews with The New York Times, more than a dozen women involved in Spanish soccer described more than a decade of systemic sexism ranging from paternalism and offhand remarks to verbal abuse.
—Jeré Longman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2023
With heroic dedication and resolve, Bob (Kevin Smith) endures Jay's verbal abuse (nicknames like ''fatty,'' ''lunchbox,'' and ''tons of fun'') and selflessly/wordlessly dispenses advice with a meaningful nod.
—Ew Staff Updated, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'verbal abuse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near verbal abuse
Cite this Entry
“Verbal abuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verbal%20abuse. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share