misuse

1 of 2

verb

mis·​use ˌmis-ˈyüz 

misused; misusing; misuses

transitive verb

1

: to use incorrectly : misapply

misused his talents

a word that is frequently misused

2

: abuse, mistreat

… their prisoner had the heavy task of receiving their insolence as wit, answering their insults with good-humour, and withholding from them the opportunity which they sought of engaging him in a quarrel, that they might have a pretence for misusing him.

—Sir Walter Scott

misuser noun

plural misusers

misuse

2 of 2

noun

mis·​use ˌmis-ˈyüs 

: incorrect or improper use : misapplication

Synonyms

Verb

• abuse
• misapply
• misemploy
• pervert
• profane
• prostitute

Noun

• abuse
• misapplication
• misemployment
• misusage
• misutilization
• perversion

Examples of misuse in a Sentence

Verb

She's charged with misusing company funds.

a word that is frequently misused

Noun

No refunds will be offered on products damaged by misuse.

the warranty for this dryer is null and void if you subject the product to deliberate misuse

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The typical solution is to berate co-workers for misusing the channel, which is impolite, hurts everyone’s feelings and does not work. —Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2024

Companies like Spotify need to implement measures to prevent their platforms from being misused by scammers. —Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 28 Nov. 2024

Noun

Opponents, however, dislike diverting taxpayer funding from public schools to private ones and point to examples of misuse of funds, in such cases as this one. —Annabella Rosciglione, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 4 Dec. 2024

If sensitive personal information was stolen, consider placing a fraud alert or credit freeze on your credit file to prevent further misuse. —Lars Daniel, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, partly from mis- + usen to use; partly from Middle French mesuser to abuse, from Old French, from mes- + user to use

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

misuse

1 of 2 verb

mis·​use mish-ˈüz 

(ˈ)mish-ˈyüz,

(ˈ)mis-ˈyüz

1

: to use incorrectly : misapply

2

: abuse entry 1 sense 2, mistreat

misusage

-ˈ(y)ü-sij

-zij

noun

misuse

2 of 2 noun

mis·​use mish-ˈüs 

(ˈ)mish-ˈyüs,

(ˈ)mis-ˈyüs

: incorrect or improper use