different between saucy vs abusive

English

Alternative forms

• sawcy (obsolete)

Etymology

From sauce +? -y .

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?s??.s?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?s?.si/
  • (cot–caught merger) IPA^(key): /?s?.si/
• Rhymes: -??si
• Rhymes: -?si

Adjective

saucy (comparative saucier, superlative sauciest)

1. Similar to sauce; having the consistency or texture of sauce.
2. Impertinent or disrespectful, often in a manner that is regarded as entertaining or amusing; smart.
   • ~1603, William Shakespeare, Othello, the Moor of Venice, Act I, scene I, line 143:

     If this be known to you, and your allowance/ When we have done you bold and saucy wrongs.

   She is a loud, saucy child who doesn't show a lot of respect to her elders.

3. Impudently bold; pert.
4. Sharp; pungent; piquant.
5. Mildly erotic.

   I enjoyed the dancing, but my wife found it a little too saucy.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:cheeky

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• sassy

References

Anagrams

• yucas

English

Etymology

First attested in the 1530s. From French abusif, from Latin ab?s?vus, from abusus + -ivus (“-ive”). Equivalent to abuse +? -ive.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??bju?.s?v/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??bju.s?v/, /??bju.z?v/

Adjective

abusive (comparative more abusive, superlative most abusive)

1. Prone to treat someone badly by coarse, insulting words or other maltreatment; vituperative; reproachful; scurrilous. [First attested in the early 17th century.]

2. (obsolete) Tending to deceive; fraudulent. [Attested only from the early to mid 17th century.]
   • 1623, Francis Bacon, A Discourse of a War with Spain

     an abusive treaty

3. (archaic) Tending to misuse; practising or containing abuse. [First attested in the late 16th century.]
4. Being physically or emotionally injurious; characterized by repeated violence or other abuse.
5. Wrongly used; perverted; misapplied; unjust; illegal. [First attested in the mid 16th century.]
6. (archaic) Catachrestic. [First attested in the mid 16th century.]

Synonyms

• (prone to treating badly): reproachful, scurrilous, opprobrious, insolent, insulting, injurious, offensive, reviling, berating, vituperative

Derived terms

• abusively
• abusiveness

Translations

References

French

Adjective

abusive

1. feminine singular of abusif

Italian

Adjective

abusive

1. feminine plural of abusivo

Latin

Adjective

ab?s?ve

1. vocative masculine singular of ab?s?vus

References

• abusive in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press