On Wednesdays, I show some love to relatively unknown, underused or under-appreciated words. This week’s word is:

Invective

(Noun)

Definition:
Insulting, abusive or highly critical language.
Example: A torrent of invective spewed forth from her lips.
Pronunciation: in-VEK-tiv

I love nouns that sound like adjectives! This word originated in late Middle English, where it was used as an adjective – meaning abusive or reviling. I kind of hope that none of you have need of this word in your day-to-day lives (it’s not really fun to be on either end of a stream of invective), but I think it would work wonderfully in a written format. It has an inherent harshness that correlates beautifully with its meaning.

Will you join me in attempting to use the word “invective” in conversation or writing at least once this week? Be sure to report back here regarding the context in which you used it! And if you’d like to nominate a word for Word-Loving Wednesday, simply post it in the comments section below!

Photo courtesy of Trevor on Flickr.