ill-use
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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ill-usesimple
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ill-usessimple
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have ill-usedperfect
-
has ill-usedperfect
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am ill-usingprogressive
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are ill-usingprogressive
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is ill-usingprogressive
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have been ill-usingperfect progressive
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has been ill-usingperfect progressive
Past
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ill-usedsimple
-
had ill-usedperfect
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was ill-usingprogressive
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were ill-usingprogressive
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had been ill-usingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ill-use
First recorded in 1835–45
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.
See Examples For:
"She did not ill-use me. Indeed, I do not believe that she ever knew that I was there at all. Is that not peculiar?"
From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman
"There will be the collieshangie when they see our marks in the snaw, but they'll founder their horses on the brae and ill-use time tae nae purpose, if just we get ower the common."
From The McBrides A Romance of Arran by Sillars, John
They might ill-use her; they might scold her; they might turn her out of the house; but no consideration would induce her to think of Tom Tringle as a lover.
From Ayala's Angel by Trollope, Anthony
The Federals thought the members of the Council wanted to abscond, and they were even about to ill-use them, when some one recognised Delescluze.
From History of the Commune of 1871 by Lissagary, P.
A prince, Lord of the Red Castle, happened at that moment to pass by, and inquired as to the cause of such treatment, for it horrified him that a mother should so ill-use her child.
From Fairy Tales of the Slav Peasants and Herdsmen by Harding, Emily J.
The master of this animal never ill-uses him nor scolds him, and at feeding-time the dogs are always served before the men.
From The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 2 by Yule, Henry
Mr. Watts is too modest in his behaviour, and for that reason the young tyrant despises and ill-uses him.
From Athelstane Ford by Upward, Allen
That is, except when he is rude, and ill-uses me, and will not come and apologize!’
From The Hand of Ethelberta by Hardy, Thomas
You'll be good to him, and stand his friend, and teach him seafaring ways, and you'll see that nobody ill-uses him.
From The Sailor by Snaith, J. C.
The very readable, if long and winding, “The Calamity Club” focuses on a crew of frequently ill-used, tough-minded white women.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026
When he was onstage everyone cowered, even his wife, an ill-used April Daly, who tried hard with this sorrowful role.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2018
And actually serious party officials like Spicer were ill-used and degraded.
From US News ● Jul. 20, 2016
But as designed by Christine Jones, with phosphorescent lighting by Chahine Yavroyan, the stage is a spartan snowscape populated by tall, leafless trees that look as if they have been ill-used by humanity and nature.
From New York Times ● Jan. 25, 2015
Fjalar and Galar told people who passed their fortress the story of how ill-used they had been by Suttung.
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
Well, who is this somebody, and who has been ill-using him?
From The Open Door, and the Portrait. Stories of the Seen and the Unseen. by Oliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
O, let me hug thee, gentle Fauconbridge; Forgive my oft ill-using of thine age.
From A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 7 by Various
Then seizing Himboldt by the collar, he accused him of flinging away from the cart the servant who, by his orders, was unbinding the horses, and otherwise ill-using him.
From Tales from the German Comprising specimens from the most celebrated authors by Various
Lord Basset would have been astonished had he been accused of ill-using his wife.
From The White Lady of Hazelwood A Tale of the Fourteenth Century by Rainey, W. (William)
It seems that Mrs. Ruiz has some evidence which proves that the Spaniards were ill-using Dr. Ruiz.
From The Great Round World And What Is Going On In It, Vol. 1. No. 21, April 1, 1897 A Weekly Magazine for Boys and Girls by Bishop, Julia Truitt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
