What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Invective vs Expletive - What's the difference?

invective | expletive |

As nouns the difference between invective and expletive

is that invective is an expression which inveighs or rails against a person while expletive is a profane, vulgar term, notably a curse or obscene oath.

As adjectives the difference between invective and expletive

is that invective is characterized by invection or railing while expletive is serving to fill up, merely for effect, otherwise redundant.

invective

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • An expression which inveighs or rails against a person.
  • A severe or violent censure or reproach.
  • Something spoken or written, intended to cast opprobrium, censure, or reproach on another.
  • *'>citation
  • A harsh or reproachful accusation.
    • Politics can raise invective to a low art.

    Adjective

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

    Synonyms

    * (characterized by invection or railing) abusive, critical, denunciatory, satirical, vitriolic, vituperative (Webster 1913) ----

    expletive

    English

    (wikipedia expletive)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Serving to fill up, merely for effect, otherwise redundant.
  • * Hallam
    • Expletive imagery.
  • * Barrow
    • Expletive phrases to plump his speech.
  • Marked by expletives (phrase-fillers).

    • Synonyms

    * expletory

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A profane, vulgar term, notably a curse or obscene oath.
  • (linguistics) A word without meaning added to fill a syntactic position.
  • (linguistics) A word that adds to the strength of a phrase without affecting its meaning; an intensifier.

    • References

    *