used

American  

[yoozd, yoost] / yuzd, yust /

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.

---

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

---

used More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing used

• it takes getting used to
• use

---

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

In front of an announced crowd of 36,903 on “Little League Day” in Anaheim, the 26-year-old used 96 pitches to lower his ERA from 5.07 to 4.57 in the win.

From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2026

“We’re already seeing some tasks that used to take hours now take minutes and soon we won’t need to be in the loop on some tasks at all,” Bosworth wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

Instead of permanently altering the cells, researchers used small-molecule drugs to temporarily increase NK cell activity.

From Science Daily • May 25, 2026

Sanctions since 2019 have cut Huawei's access to components and technologies made by the United States and some of its allies -- including the lithography machines used to make the world's most advanced chips.

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

His real name was Herman Sluring; Pickwick was the name Betsie and I used between ourselves because he looked so incredibly like the illustrator’s drawing in our copy of Dickens.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom