You can be hauled to court and charged under Singapore law.
Under the Miscellaneous Offences Act, a person who uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour may be liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $5,000 'should it cause another person harassment, alarm or distress'.
But in the case of maid abuse, such charges alone appear rare, said lawyers.
Senior lawyer Amolat Singh said: 'Usually, people are charged when they use offensive or vulgar words on policemen or government officers. For maid abuse cases, the charges are usually against physical abuse. Verbal abuse is often not the main charge.'
One reason is that it is often hard to prove the offence.
Said lawyer Ismail Hamid: 'It's the maid's words against the employer's.'
Between two private individuals, people tend to make allowances for heated moments too, added Mr Singh.
Going by what non-governmental organisations and embassies say, however, verbal abuse of maids appears to be a widespread problem in Singapore.
Some foreign maids here say their employers often called them 'stupid', 'idiot' or 'brainless'. Sometimes, they also insult the maid's religion or country.
Mr Lanang Seputro, first secretary of the Indonesian Embassy, said verbal abuse is among the top complaints it hears from those who seek help at the embassy.
Over at Transient Workers Count Too, helpline manager Sha Najak, 26, said the hotline received 35 calls last year from maids who said they were verbally abused by their employers. They made up more than half of those who called in to the welfare group, reporting abuse.
'If it becomes a verbal threat, we advise them to report the case to the police,' said Miss Sha.
They are also advised to write down the acts of abuse in a diary. But Mr Singh said the evidence may not hold up in court.
He said: 'It must be a proper diary, detailing both the good and the bad, or else the defence may cast doubt that it is self-serving.'
Having a witness, like a neighbour, to testify that the abuse took place would make the case much stronger, he said.
Still, employers should be careful about causing mental distress to their maids.
Courts here often take a stern view of maid-abuse offenders.
In 1998, the Penal Code was changed to increase by 1-1/2 times the penalties for acts of abuse against foreign domestic workers by their employers or household members.
In a landmark case in 2002, an employer was given a stiffer sentence after the High Court took into consideration the mental abuse the employer inflicted on the maid.
On top of slapping her maid, the employer also threatened to kill the maid's parents in Indonesia if she uttered a word about the mistreatment.
Said Miss Sha: 'People often think words don't hurt, but sometimes, they hurt more than physical abuse.'
Jamie Ee Wen Wei