abuse
verb (used with object)
to use wrongly or improperly; misuse.
abused
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past participleof abuse.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof abuse.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
abuseverb (used with object)to use wrongly or improperly; misuse.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Artex was "abused by some bad actors" to launch cyberattacks, the tool's developer "Autumn-27" wrote Thursday on code-hosting platform GitHub.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
But universities got greedy and abused the system by overcharging the government for overhead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
The Football Association of Ireland is investigating whether forward Adam Idah was racially abused by Israel supporters during Sunday's 3-0 Uefa Nations League victory for the Republic of Ireland.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed legislation that seeks to remove abused and neglected animals from crowded municipal shelters during their owners’ criminal cases, according to the bill’s backers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
It had a record of practically every human interaction since the moment it became aware—but unlike in mortal days, that knowledge was never abused.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
