used

[yoozd, yoost]

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.

used

/ juːzd /

adjective

1. bought or sold second-hand

   used cars

Other Word Forms

• half-used adjective
• well-used adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of used¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. used to, accustomed or habituated to.

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

More idioms and phrases containing used

• it takes getting used to
• use

Example Sentences

Tiffany Story says her cousin was also among the victims, along with four other people that she knew, including someone she once used to babysit for.

Read more on BBC

On a recent weekday, five trucks were lined up outside the city’s Oso Wastewater Treatment Plant to pick up free reclaimed water that can be used to water yards.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Coconut fibers broken down by millipedes may serve as a sustainable replacement for peat moss, a material commonly used to start seedlings but often sourced from fragile wetland ecosystems.

Read more on Science Daily

The first is marketed only in Japan, while the second is widely used for high blood pressure.

Read more on Science Daily

Remote sensing data collected by orbiting spacecraft like those used for this study provide researchers with a basic idea of the composition of the moon's surface, according to Andrews-Hanna.

Read more on Science Daily

When To Use

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.