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

All over TikTok, teens are getting high on nitrous oxide by misusing dispensers by the company Galaxy Gas intended for culinary appliances. —Katixa Espinoza, Them, 10 Oct. 2024

It’s been abused by many families who were already sending their kids to private schools and taxpayer dollars cannot continue to be misused on LEGO sets and ski trips. —Ray Stern, The Arizona Republic, 9 Oct. 2024

Noun

Another defense is copyright misuse, a legal principle which maintains the copyright holder is essentially abusing monopoly power over certain content. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 21 Oct. 2024

There are some cases that absolutely warrant letting an employee go, such as the misuse of company funds, and others where there may be space for interpretation, such as an inappropriate comment. —Jalie Cohen, Forbes, 17 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