Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

invective en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • /ɪnˈvɛktɪv/
  • (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle French invective, from Medieval Latin invectiva (“abusive speech”), from Latin invectīvus, from invectus, perfect passive participle of invehō (“bring in”), from in- + vehō (“carry”). See vehicle, and compare with inveigh.

Meanings

  1. Characterized by invection or railing.
    • Tom's speeches became diatribes — each more invective than the last.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
most invective Degree=Sup lexicographic
more invective Degree=Cmp lexicographic

Deriveds

invectiveness · invectively

Synonyms

abusive (characterized by invection or railing) · vitriolic (characterized by invection or railing) · satirical (characterized by invection or railing) · vituperative (characterized by invection or railing) · critical (characterized by invection or railing) · denunciatory (characterized by invection or railing)

Translations (3)

bg ругателен (characterized by invection or railing) · it invettivo (characterized by invection or railing) · bg обиден (characterized by invection or railing)

invective en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ɪnˈvɛktɪv/
  • (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle French invective, from Medieval Latin invectiva (“abusive speech”), from Latin invectīvus, from invectus, perfect passive participle of invehō (“bring in”), from in- + vehō (“carry”). See vehicle, and compare with inveigh.

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) An expression which inveighs or rails against a person.
  2. (countable, uncountable) A severe or violent censure or reproach.
  3. (countable, uncountable) Something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another.
    • [A] savage passage of 14th-century invective about the text-obsessed nerdiness of the Florentine bibliophile and friend of Petrarch, Niccolò Niccoli ... 2013 September 14, Jane Shilling, “The Golden Thread: the Story of Writing, by Ewan Clayton, review [print edition: Illuminating language]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review), page R28:
    • And wordy attacks against slavery drew sneers from observers which were not altogether undeserved. The authors were compared to doctors who offered to a patient nothing more than invectives against the disease which consumed him. 1963, C.L.R. James, The Black Jacobins, 2nd Revised edition, page 24:
  4. (countable, uncountable) A harsh or reproachful accusation.
    • Politics can raise invective to a low art.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
invectives Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

counterinvective · invectivist

Translations (28)

hu szidalmazás (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · nl scheldwoord (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · hu szitkozódás (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · mi kaioraora (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · es invectiva (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · hu gyalázkodás (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · la contumēlia (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · pt invectiva (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · it invettiva (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · es improperio (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · la convīcium (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · hu szitok (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · la maledictum (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · es denostación (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · sh invektiva (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · hu szidalom (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · sv invektiv (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · ca invectiva (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · bg ругатни (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · fr invective (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · de Invektive (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · hu kirohanás (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · pdt Schempwuat (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · hu gorombaság (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · es denuesto (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · bg хули (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · es oprobio (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another) · he נְאָצָה (something spoken or written, intended to cast shame, disgrace, censure, or reproach on another)