Verbal abuse (also called reviling) is a form of abusive behavior involving the use of language. It is a form of profanity that can occur with or without the use of expletives. While oral communication is its most common form, verbal abuse may be expressed in the form of written word as well.

Verbal abuse is a pattern of behavior that can seriously interfere with a person's healthy emotional development. Regular exposure leads to significant detriment of a person's self-esteem, emotional well-being, and physical state.

Verbal abuse is best described as an ongoing emotional environment organized by the abuser for the purposes of control. The underlying factor in the dynamic of verbal abuse is the abuser’s low regard for him or herself. As the abuser fears not being "good enough" and/ or meeting public expectations, the abuser attempts to place their victim in a position to believe similar things about him or herself - a type of warped projection.

Reports of verbal and emotional abuse indicate that it frequently occurs in romantic relationships between men and women, where women are generally reported as the victims.^[1][2] However, verbal abuse may occur to any person of any gender, race, culture, sexual orientation, or age.

Typically, verbal abuse increases in intensity over time and often escalates into physical abuse as well.^{[citation needed]}

During intense verbal abuse, the victim usually suffers from low self-worth and low self-esteem. As a result, victims may fall into clinical depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Verbal abuse, despite showing no visible proof, is nonetheless damaging.

Despite the fact that it is the most common type of abuse, verbal abuse is generally not taken as seriously as other forms of abuse. However, in reality; moderate to severe cases of verbal abuse (in which the victim is under constant attack, especially a child) is even more detrimental to a person's health than physical abuse.

Verbal abuse starting from a young age contributes to inferiority complex, machismo attitudes, and many other negative behaviors that plague many people into adulthood.

People who feel they are being attacked by a verbal abuser on a regular basis should seek professional counsel and remove themselves from the negative environment whenever possible. Staying around verbal abusers is damaging for a person's overall well-being, and all steps to change the situation should be pursued. Children may become victims of verbal abuse, also called school violence bullying.