Showing results for "used"

• past tense form of use.
• past participle of use.

used

American  

[yoozd, yoost] / juzd, just /

adjective

1. 

   previously used or owned; secondhand.

   a used car.

2. showing wear or being worn out.

   a thrift store that accepts used clothing.

3. employed for a purpose; utilized.

   a frequently used dictionary.

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idioms

1. used to, accustomed or habituated to.

   I'm not used to cold weather. They weren't used to getting up so early.

used British  

/ juːzd /

adjective

1. bought or sold second-hand

   used cars

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used More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing used

• it takes getting used to
• use

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Usage

What is another way to say used? Something that is used has been employed for a purpose or previously owned. Used is the past participle of the general verb use. Do you know the difference between use and utilize? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

• half-used
  adjective
• well-used
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of used

First recorded in 1325–75; use + -ed ²

Explanation

If something is used, that means it has been owned by someone else. If you buy used textbooks, that means they’re not new — someone else owned them and read them before you did. If you sell used cars, that means you’re selling cars that have already had at least one owner. Used can also describe things that have already served their purpose. Used batteries aren't good anymore: their power has been used up. People can also be used, and in this sense the word means “taken advantage of.” You might feel used by your neighbor if she's only nice to you when she needs you to water her plants.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

used

Meanwhile, drones can now be built to use cellphone networks or fiber optic cables to evade the traditional jamming of radio frequencies used by police.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Dolly Parton’s estate is alleging that Bryan Seaver, the country icon’s nephew and former head of security, used a “no trespassing” sign and barbed wire to avoid being served legal documents.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

The added a range of assurance mechanisms to support the reliability of patient record systems were used including national standards and data quality controls.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Various administrations have regularly used it over trade disputes in a number of sectors, from beer to green technology.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

“That’s cool. I swim the fly too. Or, I mean, I used to. Before I tore my rotator cuff.”

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam