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

Without unified ethical standards set forth by the White House, agencies will be more likely to misuse AI. —Jill Goldenziel, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

In fact, all of our cases above feature Christian-clergy plaintiffs who do not want the government to misuse or misrepresent their faith and care deeply about their neighbors’ religious freedom. —Rachel Laser, Twin Cities, 27 Oct. 2024

Noun

The primary goal of this initiative is to identify any potential misuse of data and ensure compliance with privacy laws. —Anoop Gupta, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024

Opponents worry about the potential for misuse and prefer keeping in-person voting as the primary method. —USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 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