used

[yoozd, yoost]

adjective

1. previously used or owned; secondhand.

   a used car.

2. showing wear or being worn out.

   a thrift store that accepts used clothing.

3. employed for a purpose; utilized.

   a frequently used dictionary.

used

/ juːzd /

adjective

1. bought or sold second-hand

   used cars

Other Word Forms

• half-used adjective
• well-used adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of used¹

First recorded in 1325–75; use + -ed ²

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. used to, accustomed or habituated to.

   I'm not used to cold weather. They weren't used to getting up so early.

More idioms and phrases containing used

• it takes getting used to
• use

Example Sentences

What used to take teams of analysts days to process is now executed in milliseconds.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Planning permission for the embassy has previously been challenged amid fears that it could be used to spy on and interrogate dissidents.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

At one point, a man blew a shofar, the traditional musical horn used in Jewish rituals, to the crowd’s applause.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Air-traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration workers find themselves caught in the middle of the impasse—and they don’t want to be used as a political football again.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Mr Stringer said police had told him an accelerant had been used to burn the hives, which were sitting on pallets in a wooded part of the park.

Read more on BBC

When To Use

What is another way to say used?

Something that is used has been employed for a purpose or previously owned. Used is the past participle of the general verb use. Do you know the difference between use and utilize? Find out on Thesaurus.com.