abuse

[ verb uh-byooz; noun uh-byoos ]

/ verb əˈbyuz; noun əˈbyus /

See synonyms for: abuse / abused / abusing / abuser on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), a·bused, a·bus·ing.

to use wrongly or improperly; misuse: to abuse one's authority.

to treat in a harmful, injurious, or offensive way: to abuse a horse; to abuse one's eyesight.

to speak insultingly, harshly, and unjustly to or about; revile; malign.

to commit sexual assault upon.

Obsolete. to deceive or mislead.

noun

wrong or improper use; misuse: the abuse of privileges.

harshly or coarsely insulting language: The officer heaped abuse on his men.

bad or improper treatment; maltreatment: The child was subjected to cruel abuse.

a corrupt or improper practice or custom: the abuses of a totalitarian regime.

rape or sexual assault.

Obsolete. deception.

SYNONYMS FOR abuse

1 misapply.

2 ill-use, maltreat, injure, harm, hurt.

3 vilify, vituperate, berate, scold; slander, defame, calumniate, traduce.

6 misapplication.

7 slander, aspersion.

See synonyms for abuse on Thesaurus.com

ANTONYMS FOR abuse

3, 7 praise.

See antonyms for abuse on Thesaurus.com

QUIZZES

DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

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Idioms for abuse

abuse oneself, to masturbate.

Origin of abuse

1400–50; (v.) late Middle English abusen<Middle French abuser, verbal derivative of abus<Latin abūsus misuse, wasting, equivalent to abūt(ī) to use up, misuse (ab-ab- + ūtī to use) + -tus suffix of v. action; (noun) late Middle English abus<Middle French abus or Latin abūsus

synonym study for abuse

7. Abuse, censure, invective all mean strongly expressed disapproval. Abuse implies an outburst of harsh and scathing words against another (often one who is defenseless): abuse directed against an opponent. Censure implies blame, adverse criticism, or hostile condemnation: severe censure of acts showing bad judgment. Invective applies to strong but formal denunciation in speech or print, often in the public interest: invective against graft.

OTHER WORDS FROM abuse

a·bus·a·ble

[uh-byoo-zuh-buhl], /əˈbyu zə bəl/, adjectivea·bus·er, nounan·ti·a·buse, adjectiveo·ver·a·buse, noun, verb (used with object), o·ver·a·bused, o·ver·a·bus·ing.

un·a·bus·a·ble, adjectiveun·a·bused, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for abuse

At the time, Mozilla said it was looking into how it could improve its abuse reporting capabilities and that it would add a requirement that users have a Firefox Account.
Mozilla shutters Firefox Send and Notes|Frederic Lardinois|September 17, 2020|TechCrunch
She told ProPublica in a telephone interview last month that she worried about being targeted in the detention center for speaking up about the abuse.
ICE Deported a Woman Who Accused Guards of Sexual Assault While the Feds Were Still Investigating the Incident|by Lomi Kriel|September 15, 2020|ProPublica
To prevent such abuses, companies working on ethical guidelines for AI-powered systems and tools need to engage users from around the world to help create appropriate standards to govern these systems.
AI ethics groups are repeating one of society’s classic mistakes|Amy Nordrum|September 14, 2020|MIT Technology Review
The hope remains that, over time, the consent-decree reforms will curb abuses and help rebuild community trust in the department, which in turn will make it easier to solve and prevent violent crimes.
What Can Mayors Do When the Police Stop Doing Their Jobs?|by Alec MacGillis|September 3, 2020|ProPublica

Also addressed will be initiatives to reduce gun violence, education reforms and the substance abuse and mental health crises.
Defunding the Police virtual info session Sept. 8|Philip Van Slooten|September 2, 2020|Washington Blade

British Dictionary definitions for abuse

abuse

verb (əˈbjuːz) (tr)

to use incorrectly or improperly; misuse

to maltreat, esp physically or sexually

to speak insultingly or cruelly to; revile

(reflexive) to masturbate

noun (əˈbjuːs)

improper, incorrect, or excessive use; misuse

maltreatment of a person; injury

insulting, contemptuous, or coarse speech

an evil, unjust, or corrupt practice

See child abuse

archaic a deception

Derived forms of abuse

abuser, noun

Word Origin for abuse

c14 (vb): via Old French from Latin abūsus, past participle of abūtī to misuse, from ab- 1 + ūtī to use

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for abuse

abuse

[ ə-byōōz′ ]

v.

To use wrongly or improperly; misuse.

To hurt or injure physically by maltreatment.

To force sexual activity on; rape or molest.

To assail with contemptuous, coarse, or insulting words; revile.

n.

Improper use or handling, as of a drug; misuse.

Physical maltreatment, as of a spouse or child.

The forcing of unwanted sexual activity by one person on another.

Sexual activity that is deemed improper or harmful, as between an adult and a minor or with a person of diminished mental capacity.

Insulting or coarse language.

Other words from abuse

a•bus′er n.

MEANINGS

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WORD OF THE DAY

abuse

verb (used with object), a·bused, a·bus·ing.

noun

SYNONYMS FOR abuse

ANTONYMS FOR abuse