A figure of speech that uses harsh, vituperative, or insulting language as a rhetorical device, often in satirical or invective poetry. Distinguished from simple insults by its artful construction and rhetorical purpose, abusive tropes employ techniques like creative invective, sustained metaphorical comparison to degrading things, or elaborate mockery. Found in flyting traditions, satirical verse, and political poetry, these tropes serve rhetorical and social functions beyond mere abuse, often exposing hypocrisy or challenging power through aggressive linguistic performance.

An abusive trope misuses or exploits figurative language to demean, stereotype, or harm; students should critically examine historical and cultural power dynamics embedded in poetic imagery.