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Synonyms

misuse

American  
[mis-yoos, mis-yooz] / mɪsˈyus, mɪsˈyuz /

noun

  1. wrong or improper use; misapplication.

    Synonyms:
    misappropriation, misemployment

  2. Obsolete. bad or abusive treatment.

verb (used with object)

misused, misusing

  1. to use wrongly or improperly; misapply.

  2. to treat badly or abusively; maltreat.

misuse British  

noun

  1. erroneous, improper, or unorthodox use

    misuse of words

  2. cruel or inhumane treatment

"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

verb

  1. to use wrongly

  2. to treat badly or harshly

  3. to use (something, esp alcohol, drugs, etc) improperly

"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

Etymology

Origin of misuse

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; mis- 1, use

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.

Together, they sued Associated Newspapers Limited over claims it misused their private information.

From BBC

“In the quickly expanding universe of cases involving sanctions for the misuse of artificial intelligence, this case is a notorious outlier in both degree and volume,” Clarke wrote.

From Los Angeles Times

The results highlight serious risks if deepfake X-rays are misused.

From Science Daily

She served in that position for two years, and the alleged misuse of millions of pesos in public funds is linked to that time.

From BBC

The results followed a campaign during which videos purporting to show figures close to the Freedom party were caught discussing ways to circumvent lobbying rules or misuse public funds.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.