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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Global sanctions and regulations often highlight not just the potential for hostile action by a foreign regime, but a track record of human rights abuses and other offenses. Fredrik Nilsson, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 Such erroneous ideas contribute to higher rates of maternal mortality in childbirth and rates of medical abuse and negligence. De-Shaine Murray, STAT, 29 Nov. 2023 Despite the abuse allegations made against Jeremy, he has not been convicted of a crime. James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 28 Nov. 2023 Rinehart’s forthcoming about how dire things were in the group — overzealous egos and substance abuse both played a role — and the darkness that consumed a band that first started in the Christian music world. Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 28 Nov. 2023 Through interviews with actors, writers and others in the industry, Ryan doggedly pursues the question of why, after the much-vaunted #MeToo campaign, bad antics and toxic abuses continue behind the scenes at popular television shows. Beth Py-Lieberman, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Nov. 2023 The agreement is non-binding and carries mostly general recommendations such as monitoring AI systems for abuse, protecting data from tampering and vetting software suppliers. Reuters, NBC News, 27 Nov. 2023 Palmer asked the court for full physical and legal custody of Leo, detailing multiple allegations of physical abuse in the filing, according to documents reviewed by PEOPLE. Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023 ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Danelle Morton, ProPublica, 18 Nov. 2023
Verb
Less positive, but still healthy majorities, said they had not been called a racial or ethnic slur (77%) or verbally harassed or abused (76%). Karlyn Bowman, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 Variety previously reported that some of Majors’ former romantic partners who were allegedly abused by him were cooperating with the DA’s case. Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 28 Nov. 2023 This feature works slightly differently from a similar Apple feature called AirDrop that terrible people sometimes abuse to send profane photographs to strangers nearby. Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023 The Act provided a one-year window to abuse victims to file beyond the statute of limitations, allowing those who were at least 18 years old to seek justice in their respective cases. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 22 Nov. 2023 Through their investigation, police determined that Zakrzewski had abused multiple boys from Jan. 1, 2014 to May 17, 2019. Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023 Cassie, a singer and entertainer whose full name is Cassandra Ventura, alleged in a complaint filed Thursday in federal court in New York City that Combs raped and physically abused her — including punching, beating, kicking and stomping on her — over the course of their relationship. Rebecca Cohen, NBC News, 17 Nov. 2023 The new movie sporadically escapes into joy with its musical numbers, which allow the viewer to track Celie’s emotional journey without being overwhelmed by her horrific traumas, including being raped by her father, abused by her husband and separated from her sister and children. Ashley Lee, Los Angeles Times, 17 Nov. 2023 Cassie, a singer and entertainer whose full name is Cassandra Ventura, alleged in a complaint filed Thursday that Combs raped and physically abused her — including punching, beating, kicking and stomping on her — over the course of their relationship. Saba Hamedy, NBC News, 18 Nov. 2023 See More

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 7 Dec. 2023.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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