abuse

1 of 2

noun

ə-ˈbyüs 

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

ə-ˈbyüz 

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

ə-ˈbyü-zə-bəl 

adjective

abuser noun

Synonyms

Noun

• billingsgate
• fulmination
• invective
• obloquy
• scurrility
• vitriol
• vituperation

Verb

• brutalize
• bully
• ill-treat
• ill-use
• kick around
• maltreat
• manhandle
• mess over [slang]
• mishandle
• mistreat
• misuse

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Brenda Deutsch, of Winfield, was arrested and charged with two counts of child abuse and one count of child endangerment, court documents show. —Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2025

The office processed more than 3,000 complaints in fiscal year 2023 — on everything from disabled detainees being unable to access medical care to abuses of power at Immigration and Customs Enforcement and reports of rape at its detention centers. —J. David McSwane, ProPublica, 8 Apr. 2025

Verb

Authorities subsequently found that the boy and Ruby's 10-year-old daughter had been seriously abused. —Liam Quinn, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025

Kevin Franke, the father of the children abused by Hildebrandt and his ex-wife, has advocated for more oversight of life coaches since the two women were sent to prison. —Jessica Schreifels, ProPublica, 27 Mar. 2025

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

Phrases Containing abuse

• human rights abuse
• ripe for abuse
• self-abuse
• verbal abuse

Rhymes for abuse

• abstruse
• adduce
• atreus
• caboose
• cayuse
• conduce
• deduce
• diffuse
• disuse
• excuse
• footloose
• induce

Kids Definition

abuse

1 of 2 verb

ə-ˈbyüz 

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

ə-ˈbyüs 

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

ə-ˈbyüs 

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

ə-ˈbyüz 

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

-ˈbyü-zə-bəl 

adjective

abuser noun

Legal Definition

abuse

1 of 2 transitive verb

ə-ˈbyüz 

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

ə-ˈbyüs 

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