misuse

[ noun mis-yoos; verb mis-yooz ]

/ noun mɪsˈyus; verb mɪsˈyuz /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: misuse / misused on Thesaurus.com

noun

wrong or improper use; misapplication.

Obsolete. bad or abusive treatment.

verb (used with object), mis·used, mis·us·ing.

to use wrongly or improperly; misapply.

to treat badly or abusively; maltreat.

SYNONYMS FOR misuse

1 misemployment, misappropriation.

See synonyms for misuse on Thesaurus.com

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!

In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”

Question 1 of 7

The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.

affect

effect

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of misuse

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

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

Example sentences from the Web for misuse

In more than a decade with the newspaper, López had often written about corruption and misuse of public funds and had received threats in connection to his reporting.
These 10 journalists have been killed and deserve justice immediately|Brett Haensel|November 2, 2020|Fortune
It provides other nations with the balm of calling out US hypocrisy in the misuse of its powers, hypocrisy which is often measured in the distance between American soft power rhetoric and hard power actions.
As The World Watches US Election, The Appeal Of America Is Diminished|LGBTQ-Editor|November 2, 2020|No Straight News
The catastrophic risk associated with AI hinges more on misuse or poor development than on concerns about computers overtaking human society.
Don’t worry, the earth is doomed|Katie McLean|October 21, 2020|MIT Technology Review
The details that have ended some recent political careers — such as involvement with a staffer or misuses of public funds — aren't part of this story.
The Trailer: The seven political states of Texas|David Weigel|October 4, 2020|Washington Post

It’s fair to say there are still many unanswered questions attached to the data misuse scandal.
Cambridge Analytica’s former boss gets 7-year ban on being a business director|Natasha Lomas|September 25, 2020|TechCrunch
Its blasphemy law, which carries the death penalty, is frequently invoked and just as frequently misused.
Pakistan’s Dance With Terrorists Just Backfired and Killed 132 Children|Chris Allbritton|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Other female penguins would have their babies “misused before the very eyes of its parents.”
Lovable ‘Madagascar’ Penguins Are Known to Rape and Torture in Real Life|Asawin Suebsaeng|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Overall, there are some smart ideas in this film, but many of them feel misused.
'Rosewater' Review: Jon Stewart's Clumsy but Earnest Directorial Debut|Alex Suskind|September 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What will the reaction be if cash released for “improved” nuclear behavior is misused?
Don't Offer Sanctions Relief to Iran|Andrew Apostolou|October 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
But the data are constantly under revision and can often be misused and abused.
The Misuse and Meaning of GDP|Robert Shapiro|April 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
A good God would not permit that men charged with revealing His will should be misused.
Superstition In All Ages (1732)|Jean Meslier
Prepositions are especially liable to be misused, and their correct use comes from a study of literature, not of the dictionary.
English: Composition and Literature|W. F. (William Franklin) Webster
The way in which the regulation of the Conqueror here referred to has been misunderstood and misused is curious.
Landholding In England|Joseph Fisher
The child singing-voice is not rough and harsh unless it is misused.
The Child-Voice in Singing|Francis E. Howard
If this be the case, some of these beings may probably have misused their liberty, and become depraved and corrupt.
Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. II|Francis Augustus Cox

British Dictionary definitions for misuse

misuse

noun (ˌmɪsˈjuːs) misusage

erroneous, improper, or unorthodox usemisuse of words

cruel or inhumane treatment

verb (ˌmɪsˈjuːz) (tr)

to use wrongly

to treat badly or harshly

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

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

misuse

noun

verb (used with object), mis·used, mis·us·ing.

SYNONYMS FOR misuse