misuse

[noun mis-yoos; verb mis-yooz]

See more synonyms for misuse 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.

Origin of misuse

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

Synonyms

See more synonyms for misuse on Thesaurus.com

1. misemployment, misappropriation.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for misused

Contemporary Examples

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
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
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
They are not the same and they are terms that are often misused.
What's Wrong With Republicans?
November 9, 2012
The allegation that Klein misused his power to dispense drugs is mentioned several times in the court filing.
The Secret World of Dr. Arnold Klein
Diane Dimond
August 26, 2011

Historical Examples

The bread was genuine homemade, a term so often misused in the cities.
In the Midst of Alarms
Robert Barr
Plotinus is a mystic, then, though not at all in the sense in which the term is often misused.
The Legacy of Greece
Various
The physicians do not like to touch a tool which has been misused so badly.
Psychotherapy
Hugo Mnsterberg
In speaking and in writing of stage matters, these words are often misused.
The Verbalist
Thomas Embly Osmun, (AKA Alfred Ayres)
The sense in which it is misused is that of immodest, indecent.
The Verbalist
Thomas Embly Osmun, (AKA Alfred Ayres)

British Dictionary definitions for misused

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

Word Origin and History for misused

misuse

v.

late 14c., "to use improperly;" see mis- (1) + use (v.). Meaning "to subject to ill-treatment" is attested from 1530s. Related: Misused; misusing.

misuse

n.

late 14c., from mis- (1) + use (n.). It aligns with the older sense of the verb misuse.

misuse

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}misuse

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for misused

Contemporary Examples

Other female penguins would have their babies “misused before the very eyes of its parents.”

What will the reaction be if cash released for “improved” nuclear behavior is misused?

But the data are constantly under revision and can often be misused and abused.

They are not the same and they are terms that are often misused.

The allegation that Klein misused his power to dispense drugs is mentioned several times in the court filing.

Historical Examples

The bread was genuine homemade, a term so often misused in the cities.

Plotinus is a mystic, then, though not at all in the sense in which the term is often misused.

The physicians do not like to touch a tool which has been misused so badly.

In speaking and in writing of stage matters, these words are often misused.

The sense in which it is misused is that of immodest, indecent.

misuse

Word Origin and History for misused

misuse

v.

misuse

n.

Origin of misuse