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
Kevin appears visibly upset and dismayed throughout the police interview as investigators describe R and E’s conditions and the evidence of abuse being uncovered. Samantha Wanderer, ABC News, 22 Mar. 2024 Bell was seeking outpatient help for substance abuse issues. Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024 According to a news release, this is Bell's first time identifying himself as the victim of abuse. Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Mar. 2024 Each time they were traded, they would be ordered to shower and use make-up to cover their wounds to fetch a better price for the next scam boss, who would subsequently repeat the cycle of violence and abuse before they were patched up and sold again. TIME, 21 Mar. 2024 In 2021, funding for child abuse victims fell to 0.31%, according to the report. Miguel Torres, The Arizona Republic, 20 Mar. 2024 Smyth stands accused of running a mortgage scam in Northern Ireland and the U.K. is looking to charge Smyth with four counts of fraud by abuse of position and four counts of theft. Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2024 Four other White ex-officers who pleaded guilty to the abuse will be sentenced later this week. Alexandra Banner, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 Even after regulators announced a raft of new policies to support the markets, pledging to root out insider trading and other abuses, the Shanghai Composite index is still 5.8% below its level a year earlier, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng has fallen 15.3%. Elaine Kurtenbach, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024
Verb
The green bubble issue is just one of several ways Apple is abusing its dominant position, according to the lawsuit. Allison Morrow, CNN, 22 Mar. 2024 Critics say that Apple abuses its position as a gatekeeper for the App Store, launching similar Apple products that directly compete against rivals and put them at a disadvantage. Wendy Lee, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 In an interview with Rolling Stone, Quiet on Set co-director Emma Schwartz spoke about working with Bell on the series, and finally speaking publicly about being abused. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024 The Dispatches doc claimed the women had been abused between 2006 and 2013, while Brand was a BBC presenter and acting in Hollywood films. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2024 Nevertheless, the vulnerability is relatively easy for a bad actor to abuse. Michael Kan, PCMAG, 21 Mar. 2024 Investigators had found that the legal arrangements, which were supposed to protect people who could not care for themselves, had actually deprived individuals of their rights and were poorly monitored, enabling guardians to abuse, neglect and defraud those under their care. Jake Pearson, ProPublica, 20 Mar. 2024 Although the Court today expresses no view on whether Texas's law is constitutional, and instead defers to a lower court's management of its docket, the Court of Appeals abused its discretion by entering an unreasoned and indefinite administrative stay that altered the status quo. Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2024 Some lawmakers saw the lobbying campaign from TikTok as further evidence the app is being abused by the Chinese Communist Party, a claim leaders have raised for years as its popularity has skyrocketed. USA TODAY, 14 Mar. 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 28 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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