Being pro-active could help, as the future will likely be painted in an environment where violence will become regularity as these types of behaviors have a way of morphing towards intensity. He must have some redeeming qualities for you to stick around, however with the potential for violence and the continued ongoing verbal assault, immediate action is advised to correct his behavior. Daniel left out a third option, which is leaving him and staying somewhere safe and free of verbal abuse.
I sincerely doubt that he would ever be physically violent. But I might. I am just as afraid of that as I am of hearing his next outburst.
I had a plate in my hand and the idea of smashing it across his head didn't just pass through my head. I swung the plate. I just stopped short of hitting him with it.