abuse

noun \ ə-ˈbyüs \

|Updated on: 24 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: abuse in a Sentence

Definition of abuse

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

See abuse defined for English-language learners

Examples of abuse in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of abuse from the Web

Most children held in the Shenandoah facility who were the focus of the abuse lawsuit were caught crossing the border illegally alone.

— michael biesecker, chicagotribune.com, "Beatings, bags over their heads, racial slurs: Young migrants detained in Virginia allege abuse in lawsuit," 21 June 2018
As the Atlantic has reported, the romantic partners of police officers suffer domestic abuse at significantly higher rates than the general population.

— brian chasnoff, San Antonio Express-News, "San Antonio police officer’s domestic violence case sent to DA," 21 June 2018
There are plenty of rap songs about Promethazine, Percocet and Xanax — all prescription drugs with a high potential for addiction and abuse — but very few about the pill commonly prescribed to treat depression.

— jennifer swann, latimes.com, "Rapper Sirah is leading a movement to better understand mental health in the music community," 21 June 2018
According to federal court documents, more than a half-dozen Latino teens jailed for months or years have given sworn statements alleging abuse against the Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center near Staunton, Virginia.

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "Immigrant Kids Say They Were Strapped to Chairs, Left Naked in Detention Center," 21 June 2018
Alcohol and substance abuse led to multiple suspensions and two bans from the NBA, the last coming in 1995.

— stefan stevenson, star-telegram, "Draft duds: Mavs top 5 worst No. 1 picks," 20 June 2018
The revision comes at a time when public concern over technology abuse is high and rising.

— robbie gonzalez, WIRED, "WHO Calls Gaming Disorder an Illness. Experts Say Not So Fast," 19 June 2018
Attorneys representing persons who claim police abuse have at times successfully argued that immunity should not apply when doing so would shield recovery on an officer’s intentional violation of a constitutional right.

— michael mccann, SI.com, "Inside Sterling Brown’s compelling lawsuit against the Milwaukee Police Department and City of Milwaukee," 19 June 2018
The letter also cited an unsubstantiated instance of physical abuse involving a child's finger being caught in a door, something Shimp contends was an accident, not a deliberate act.

— Arizona Republic, "The state took her foster license away. But the kids stayed with her. Why?," 19 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abuse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of abuse

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 ²use"

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

abuse Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of 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

abuse

verb \ ə-ˈbyüz \

Definition of abuse

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

play \-ˈbyü-zə-bəl\ adjective

—

abuser

noun

See abuse defined for English-language learners

See abuse defined for kids

Examples of abuse in a Sentence

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 of abuse from the Web

Purdue Pharma and three of its top executives had agreed to plead guilty to charges in connection with the company’s deceptive promotion that OxyContin was less prone to abuse and addiction than traditional opioids.

— barry meier, STAT, "Reviving an old book to tell a new story about OxyContin, Purdue, and the Sackler family," 6 June 2018
Many of these women were abused, cloistered, and prevented from leaving their hometowns.

— jackson holahan, The Christian Science Monitor, "'The Good Mothers' profiles the female prosecutor who took on Italy's mafia," 6 June 2018
Christopher Baker, 39, was seen abusing the dog around 10 p.m. in the 100 block of Eagle Street near downtown, according to an Anchorage Police Department statement.

— laurel andrews, Anchorage Daily News, "Police: Anchorage man hung ‘lifeless’ dog from fence by its leash," 1 June 2018
And, unfortunately, research shows an association between problem drinking in women and being abused by a partner.

— SELF, "Why Are More Women Ending Up in the ER for Alcohol-Related Causes?," 23 May 2018
In January 2017, a woman in Saudi Arabia used Twitter to call attention to the fact that her infant daughter was being abused by the baby’s father (the baby was removed from the father’s custody and given to the mother).

— saba imtiaz, Marie Claire, "Meet the Kardashians of the Middle East," 7 May 2018
Now 63, Butler has never been criminally charged and has denied ever abusing anyone.

— michael tarm, Aurora Beacon-News, "Colleges are urged to end ties with Aurora volleyball coach accused of sexual misconduct," 26 Apr. 2018
And a young boy, who was tortured and abused by his father and stepmother for months, ultimately starved to death and was fed to pigs.

— kelsey ryan, kansascity, "Families speak out for victims of some of KC's most notorious crimes against children | The Kansas City Star," 14 Apr. 2018
For example, if someone called the hotline to report a child being abused by a teacher or coach, operators would refer them to police, because those people aren't the child's parent or guardian.

— The Republic | azcentral.com, "Understand the system | How Arizona's child-protective services are supposed to work," 13 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of abuse

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

abuse Synonyms

Synonyms

assail, attack, bash, belabor, blast, castigate, excoriate, jump (on), lambaste (or lambast), potshot, savage, scathe, slam, vituperate;

Near Antonyms

acclaim, commend, compliment, hail, laud, praise;

blaspheme, curse, execrate, imprecate, profane;

affront, insult, slur;

asperse, bad-mouth, belittle, blackguard, disparage, put down;

libel, slander, traduce, vilify;

chastise, chide, criticize, lace (into), rebuke, reprimand, reproof;

fulminate, lash (out);

Phrases

beat up on, light into, sail into, tie into;

ABUSE Defined for Kids

abuse

noun \ ə-ˈbyüs \

Definition of abuse for Students

1 : wrong or unfair treatment or use

abuse of power

2 : the act or practice of improperly using or of using in harmful amounts

drug abuse

3 : harmful treatment of a person or an animal

4 : harsh insulting language

“Never a kind word for old Templeton, only abuse and wisecracks …”
—E. B. White, Charlotte's Web

5 : a dishonest practice

election abuses

abuse

verb \ ə-ˈbyüz \

Definition of abuse for Students

abused; abusing

1 : to treat in a cruel or harmful way

abuse an animal

2 : to use wrongly : misuse

abuse privileges

3 : to use improperly or in harmful amounts

abuse drugs

4 : to blame or scold rudely

Word Root of abuse

The Latin word ūtī, meaning “to use,” “to possess,” or “to enjoy,” and its form ūsus give us the roots ut and us. Words from the Latin ūtī have something to do with use. To use is to possess and enjoy. To abuse is to use something incorrectly or unfairly. Anything usual is commonly used by many people. A utensil is a tool that is used for a particular purpose, especially for eating or cooking.

Medical Dictionary

abuse

noun \ ə-ˈbyüs \

medical Definition of abuse

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

transitive verb \ ə-ˈbyüz \

medical Definition of abuse

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 a : masturbate

b : to subject to abuse and especially to rape or indecent assault

—

abusable

play \-ˈbyü-zə-bəl\ adjective

—

abuser

noun

Law Dictionary

abuse

transitive verb \ ə-ˈbyüz \

legal Definition of abuse

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

noun \ ə-ˈbyüs \

legal Definition of abuse

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

b : sexual abuse

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