used

[yoozd or for 4, yoost]

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR used ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

previously used or owned; secondhand: a used car.

showing wear or being worn out: a thrift shop that accepts used clothing.

employed for a purpose; utilized: a frequently used dictionary.

Idioms

used to, accustomed or habituated to: I'm not used to cold weather. They weren't used to getting up so early.

Origin of used

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at use, -ed²

Related formshalf-used, adjectivewell-used, adjective

use

[verb yooz or for pt for mof 9, yoost; noun yoos]

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

to employ for some purpose; put into service; make use of: to use a knife.

to avail oneself of; apply to one's own purposes: to use the facilities.

to expend or consume in use: We have used the money provided.

to treat or behave toward: He did not use his employees with much consideration.

to take unfair advantage of; exploit: to use people to gain one's own ends.

to drink, smoke, or ingest habitually: to use drugs.

to habituate or accustom.

Archaic. to practice habitually or customarily; make a practice of.

verb (used without object), used, us·ing.

to be accustomed or customarily found (used with an infinitive expressed or understood, and, except in archaic use, now only in the past): He used to go every day.

Archaic. to resort, stay, or dwell customarily.

noun

the act of employing, using, or putting into service: the use of tools.

the state of being employed or used.

an instance or way of employing or using something: proper use of the tool; the painter's use of color.

a way of being employed or used; a purpose for which something is used: He was of temporary use. The instrument has different uses.

the power, right, or privilege of employing or using something: to lose the use of the right eye; to be denied the use of a library card.

service or advantage in or for being employed or used; utility or usefulness: of no practical use.

help; profit; resulting good: What's the use of pursuing the matter?

occasion or need, as for something to be employed or used: Would you have any use for another calendar?

continued, habitual, or customary employment or practice; custom: to follow the prevailing use of such occasions.

Law.

the enjoyment of property, as by the employment, occupation, or exercise of it.
the benefit or profit of lands and tenements in the possession of another who simply holds them for the beneficiary.
the equitable ownership of land to which the legal title is in another's name.

Liturgy. the distinctive form of ritual or of any liturgical observance used in a particular church, diocese, community, etc.

usual or customary experience.

Verb Phrases

use up,

to consume entirely.
to exhaust of vigor or usefulness; finish: By the end of the war he felt used up and sick of life.

Origin of use

1175–1225; (v.) Middle English usen < Old French user < Latin ūsus, past participle of ūtī to use; (noun) Middle English < Old French < Latin ūsus act of using a thing, application, employment, equivalent to ūt-, stem of ūtī to use + -tus suffix of v. action, with tt > s

Related formsmul·ti·use, adjectivenon·use, nounnon·us·ing, adjectivere·use, verb, re·used, re·us·ing, nounun·der·use, verb (used with object), un·der·used, un·der·us·ing, noun

Can be confuseduse usage utilize (see usage note at usage) (see synonym study at the current entry)

Synonyms for use

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR use ON THESAURUS.COM

1. Use, utilize mean to make something serve one's purpose. Use is the general word: to use a telephone; to use a saw and other tools; to use one's eyes; to use eggs in cooking. (What is used often has depreciated or been diminished, sometimes completely consumed: a used automobile; All the butter has been used. ) As applied to persons, use implies some selfish or sinister purpose: to use another to advance oneself. Utilize implies practical or profitable use: to utilize the means at hand, a modern system of lighting. 3. exhaust, waste. 7. familiarize, inure. 12. employment, utilization, application, exercise. 13. handling.

Usage note

See usage.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for used

worn, hand-me-down, pre-owned

Examples from the Web for used

Contemporary Examples of used

That strategy has been used in some cases to help determine GMO policy.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers
Michael Schulson
July 27, 2016
They just reflect the range of breeds that were used to create the Heck cattle in the first instance.
‘Nazi Cows’ Tried to Kill British Farmer
Tom Sykes
January 6, 2015
It upsets me because I used to really, and still do sometimes, love the articles Salon writes.
Patton Oswalt on Fighting Conservatives With Satire
William O’Connor
January 6, 2015
It used to carry livestock but sailed its final voyage with a hold full of Syrian men, women, and children.
Ghost Ships of the Mediterranean
Barbie Latza Nadeau
January 6, 2015
Almost everyone I spoke to said they have used JSwipe because they are specifically not just looking for a booty call.
My Week on Jewish Tinder
Emily Shire
January 5, 2015

Historical Examples of used

I spoke to Philothea just as I used to do; without remembering that she had died.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
The best doctrines become the worst, when they are used for evil purposes.
Philothea
Lydia Maria Child
You used to support your family comfortably when you had one.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
But he was making real love, and you know I'm not used to that.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
Of course they did not use the letters which have been used to print this book.
Ancient Man
Hendrik Willem van Loon

British Dictionary definitions for used

used

adjective

bought or sold second-handused cars

use

verb (juːz) (tr)

to put into service or action; employ for a given purposeto use a spoon to stir with

to make a practice or habit of employing; exercisehe uses his brain

to behave towardsto use a friend well

to behave towards in a particular way for one's own endshe uses people

to consume, expend, or exhaustthe engine uses very little oil

mainly US and Canadian to partake of (alcoholic drink, drugs, etc) or smoke (tobacco, marijuana, etc)

noun (juːs)

the act of using or the state of being usedthe carpet wore out through constant use

the ability, right, or permission to use

the occasion to use; needI have no use for this paper

an instance or manner of using

usefulness; advantageit is of no use to complain

custom; practice; habitlong use has inured him to it

the purpose for which something is used; end

Christianity a distinctive form of liturgical or ritual observance, esp one that is traditional in a Church or group of Churches

the enjoyment of property, land, etc, by occupation or by deriving revenue or other benefit from it

law the beneficial enjoyment of property the legal title to which is held by another person as trustee

law an archaic word for trust (def. 7)

philosophy logic linguistics the occurrence of an expression in such a context that it performs its own linguistic function rather than being itself referred to. In " Fido " refers to Fido, the name Fido is 'used' only on the second occurrence, first being mentionedCompare mention (def. 7) See also material mode

have no use for

to have no need of
to have a contemptuous dislike for

make use of

to employ; use
to exploit (a person)

Word Origin for use

C13: from Old French user to use, from Latin ūsus having used, from ūtī to use

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 used

adj.

"second-hand," 1590s, past participle adjective from use (v.). To be used to "accustomed, familiar" is recorded by 1520s. Verbal phrase used to "formerly did or was" (as in I used to love her) represents a construction attested from c.1300, and common from c.1400, but now surviving only in past tense form. The pronunciation is affected by the t- of to.

use

early 13c., from Old French us, from Latin usus "use, custom, skill, habit," from past participle stem of uti (see use (v.)).

use

mid-13c., from Old French user "use, employ, practice," from Vulgar Latin *usare "use," frequentative form of past participle stem of Latin uti "to use," in Old Latin oeti "use, employ, exercise, perform," of unknown origin. Related: Used; using. Replaced Old English brucan (see brook (v.)).

Idioms and Phrases with used

used

In addition to the idiom beginning with used

used to

also see:

it takes getting used to

Also see underuse.

use

In addition to the idioms beginning with use

used to
use one's head
use up

also see:

have no use for
make use of
no use
put to good use

Also see underused.