abuse
Improper treatment or usage; application to a wrong or bad purpose; an unjust, corrupt or wrongful practice or custom.
Noun 4 meanings
Improper treatment or usage; application to a wrong or bad purpose; an unjust, corrupt or wrongful practice or custom.
“human rights abuses”
Misuse; improper use; perversion.
Coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; language that unjustly or angrily vilifies.
“children hurling abuse at each other”
Physical maltreatment; injury; cruel treatment.
Verb 4 meanings
To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to use improperly; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert
“He abused his authority.”
To injure; to maltreat; to hurt; to treat with cruelty, especially repeatedly.
To attack with coarse language; to insult; to revile; malign; to speak in an offensive manner to or about someone; to disparage.
To imbibe a drug for a purpose other than it was intended; to intentionally take more of a drug than was prescribed for recreational reasons; to take illegal drugs habitually.
Etymology
From Middle English abusen, then from either Old French abus (“improper use”), or from Latin abūsus (“misused, using up”), perfect active participle of abūtor (“make improper use of, consume, abuse”), from ab (“away”) + ūtor (“to use”). Equivalent to ab- + use.
Similar and opposite words
ABUSE at a glance
ABUSE has 5 letters and scores 7 points in Scrabble (A 1 + B 3 + U 1 + S 1 + E 1) and 9 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #2,136 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with abuse
All rhymesOne letter away
- AMUSE7
- ABASE7
- ABUNE7
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