abuse

1 of 2

noun

1
: a corrupt practice or custom
the buying of votes and other election abuses
2
: improper or excessive use or treatment : misuse
drug abuse
3
: language that condemns or vilifies usually unjustly, intemperately, and angrily
verbal abuse
a term of abuse
4
: physical maltreatment
child abuse
sexual abuse
5
obsolete : a deceitful act : deception

abuse

2 of 2

verb

abused; abusing

transitive verb

1
a
: to put to a wrong or improper use
abuse a privilege
b
: to use excessively
abuse alcohol
also : to use without medical justification
abusing painkillers
2
: to use or treat so as to injure or damage : maltreat
abused his wife
3
: to attack in words : revile
verbally abused the referee
4
obsolete : deceive
abusable adjective
abuser noun
Choose the Right Synonym for abuse

abuse, vituperation, invective, obloquy, billingsgate mean vehemently expressed condemnation or disapproval.

abuse, the most general term, usually implies the anger of the speaker and stresses the harshness of the language.

scathing verbal abuse

vituperation implies fluent and sustained abuse.

a torrent of vituperation

invective implies a comparable vehemence but suggests greater verbal and rhetorical skill and may apply to a public denunciation.

blistering political invective

obloquy suggests defamation and consequent shame and disgrace.

subjected to obloquy and derision

billingsgate implies practiced fluency and variety of profane or obscene abuse.

directed a stream of billingsgate at the cabdriver

Examples of abuse in a Sentence

Noun He subjected his wife to physical and emotional abuse. the buying of votes and other election abuses She was subjected to every term of abuse her boss could think of. a torrent of verbal abuse The prisoner hurled abuse at the judge. Verb He was accused of sexually abusing a child. He abused his body with years of heavy drinking. He had abused his first car by not taking care of it. She abused her friend's trust. a senator who abuses his power He abused my confidence by letting this secret be known.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Studies show that service members who work in military jobs that expose them to blasts experience more behavioral health problems and drug and alcohol abuse than their peers in other jobs. Dave Philipps, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 The university had a previous contract with the organization but terminated it after learning of the child abuse accusations, WMC-TV reported. Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 And agencies including the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control now recognize intimate partner abuse as a leading cause of TBI. Jon Hamilton, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024 Two Ohio women have been charged with gross abuse of a corpse after being accused of driving a deceased elderly man to a bank to withdraw money from his account. Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024 When playing at online casinos, wagering requirements are implemented to protect the house from bonus abuse. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Thematic material involving domestic abuse, some violence and language. Ty Burr, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 But Adams also said that cases become stronger when multiple victims report similar abuse. Ana Claudia Chacin, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2024 Her father was arrested on multiple charges, including first-degree child abuse, lying to a peace officer and violating Michigan’s Safe Storage law 24 hours after the law went into effect, McClatchy New previously reported. Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 27 Feb. 2024
Verb
Robert De Niro won his second Academy Award for playing the central boxer as a human embodiment of stubbornness and the worst aspects of masculinity, spending the majority of the movie mistreating and abusing the people around him. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024 On Monday, the EU Commission fined Apple $1.84 billion for abusing its dominance in music streaming apps. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 The researchers say strict protocols designed to keep bad actors from abusing AI systems are instead having a chilling effect on independent research. Nitasha Tiku, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 Paxton was accused of abusing his office to benefit real estate investor Nate Paul and retaliating against former employees who reported him to law enforcement. Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Mar. 2024 In nearly every Bay Area county, parents accused of abusing their children are kept out of the interview room when a social worker gets a court order to question their child. Scooty Nickerson, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024 Bradley, who had an active presence on TikTok, alleged on the platform that she had been abused by Christy, who lived with her, per court documents, WTHR reported. Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 The reports were both disturbing and damning, outlining how the popular platform is abused by some parents willing to sell content to predators. Oliver Darcy, CNN, 28 Feb. 2024 While she’s never been taken advantage of quite to the extent of that poor sitter, over the years, my teenage daughter babysat for many families who abused her time and sense of safety. Melissa Willets, Parents, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'abuse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin abūsus "misuse, waste," noun derivative from abūtī "to exhaust, use up, misuse," from ab- ab- + ūtī "to use entry 1"

Verb

Middle English abusen, borrowed from Anglo-French abuser, verbal derivative of abuse abuse entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of abuse was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near abuse

Cite this Entry

“Abuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abuse. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

abuse

1 of 2 verb
abused; abusing
1
a
: to use wrongly : misuse
abuse a privilege
b
: to use excessively
abuse alcohol
2
: to treat cruelly : mistreat
abuse a dog
3
: to attack in words : scold rudely
abuser noun

abuse

2 of 2 noun
1
: a corrupt practice or custom
election abuses
2
a
: improper or excessive use or treatment : misuse
abuse of privileges
drug abuse
b
: physical mistreatment
3
: harsh insulting language

Medical Definition

abuse

1 of 2 noun
1
: improper or excessive use or treatment
drug abuse
long-term abuse of tranquilizers
2
: physical maltreatment: as
a
: the act of violating sexually : rape
b
under some statutes : rape or indecent assault not amounting to rape

abuse

2 of 2 transitive verb
abused; abusing
1
: to use excessively
abuse alcohol
also : to use without medical justification
abusing painkillers
2
: to treat so as to injure or damage
abuse a child
3
b
: to subject to abuse and especially to rape or indecent assault
abusable adjective
abuser noun

Legal Definition

abuse

1 of 2 transitive verb
abused; abusing
1
: to put to a use other than the one intended: as
a
: to put to a bad or unfair use
abusing the powers of office
b
: to put to improper or excessive use
abuse narcotics
2
a
: to inflict physical or emotional mistreatment or injury on (as one's child) purposely or through negligence or neglect and often on a regular basis
b
: to engage in sexual activity with (a child under an age specified by statute)
3
: to attack harshly with words
abuse a police officer
abuse a debtor
abuser noun

abuse

2 of 2 noun
1
: improper, unfair, or excessive use
abuse of authority
drug abuse
2
a
: the infliction of physical or emotional injury
also : the crime of inflicting such injury see also battered child syndrome, battered woman's syndrome compare cruelty, neglect
3
: a verbal attack (as on a police officer in the performance of his or her duty)
also : the crime of making such an attack

More from Merriam-Webster on abuse

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