abuse
noun
\
Definition of abuse
(Entry 1 of 2)
abuse
verb
\
Definition of abuse (Entry 2 of 2)
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from abuse
Verb
\
adjective
Synonyms for abuse
Synonyms: Noun
billingsgate, fulmination, invective, obloquy, scurrility, vitriol, vituperation
Synonyms: Verb
brutalize, bully, ill-treat, ill-use, kick around, maltreat, manhandle, mess over [slang], mishandle, mistreat, misuse
Visit the Thesaurus for More
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
In 2009, Rihanna could have easily become the face of victimhood, having become a survivor of domestic abuse at the hands of Chris Brown. — Kathryn Lindsay, refinery29.com, "Why Be Engaged When You Can Be An Ex?," 13 July 2018 There also is substantial and credible information that the President's actions with respect to Monica Lewinsky constitute an abuse of authority inconsistent with the President's constitutional duty to faithfully execute the laws. — Aaron Blake, Washington Post, "Brett Kavanaugh, Trump and what the Starr Report says about impeachment, annotated," 11 July 2018 Then in May, during a Times interview with the cast of Arrested Development (on which Cross plays Tobias Fünke), the conversation turned to the actor Jeffrey Tambor’s violent verbal abuse of his co-star Jessica Walter. — Lisa Miller, The Cut, "The Weaponized Amber Tamblyn," 8 July 2018 The agency began cracking down on scofflaws in 2017, following years of abuse of the blue placards. — Cynthia Hubert, sacbee, "Disabled placard violations soar in California. Here's where scofflaws were targeted," 6 July 2018 Top White House advisers have been encouraging Trump to dismiss Pruitt for months, amid mounting allegations of unethical conduct, improper spending and abuses of power. — Bloomberg, Fortune, "Scott Pruitt Is Devastated That White House Forced Him to Resign EPA Post, Sources Say," 6 July 2018 But in my book, this is an abuse of the freedom a motorcycle gives you. — Bill Hartford, Popular Mechanics, "My First Year on a Motorcycle," 15 Feb. 2019 He is charged with 42 counts of criminal breach of trust, graft, abuse of power and money laundering in one of Malaysia’s biggest criminal trials. — Eileen Ng, The Seattle Times, "Malaysian ex-PM Najib combative ahead of 1MDB graft trial," 11 Feb. 2019 Even many critics of Snowden admit that the NSA's Telephone Records Program, conducted under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act, was a major intrusion into the privacy of American citizens and was an abuse of the FISC orders. — Sean Gallagher, Ars Technica, "The Snowden Legacy, part one: What’s changed, really?," 21 Nov. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
The parents of an 18-year-old girl, who allegedly abused her and locked her in her room for months at a time, appeared in court for the first time Thursday. — Zachary Hansen, ajc, "Georgia parents allegedly locked 18-year-old daughter in her room for months," 28 June 2018 Microsoft wasn’t the only company that was accused of abusing a huge consumer network to lock out a competitor. — Adi Robertson, The Verge, "How the antitrust battles of the ‘90s set the stage for today’s tech giants," 6 Sep. 2018 The president of the University of Southern California, C. L. Max Nikias, is stepping down in the wake of a scandal over a gynecologist accused of abusing students at the campus health center. — Kristen Bellstrom, Fortune, "SoulCycle IPO, Ireland Legalizes Abortion: Broadsheet May 29," 29 May 2018 The organization is facing dozens of lawsuits, accused of turning a blind eye to Nassar's years of abusing athletes. — Scooby Axson, SI.com, "Report: USA Gymnastics Approved Cover Stories For Larry Nassar Amid Sex Abuse Probe," 24 May 2018 These are people who talk about having diaries of how long they’ve been [abused]. — Ashley Edwards Walker, Good Housekeeping, "What Is Estrangement — And Should You Consider It?," 21 Dec. 2018 Some of the justices were accused of abusing their authority by failing to rein in excessive spending. — John Raby, The Seattle Times, "West Virginia Senate mulls next steps in impeachment drama," 28 Nov. 2018 Loughry, Walker and Workman all face charges of abusing authority by failing to control office expenses and not maintaining policies about the use of state vehicles, office computers at home and other matters. — Fox News, "West Virginia House speaker Armstead resigns to run for Supreme Court," 22 Aug. 2018 Page has accused the government of abusing its authority by unfairly targeting him. — The Washington Post, NOLA.com, "Secret FBI source for Russia probe met with 3 Trump advisers during campaign," 19 May 2018These 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.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for abuse
abuse
noun
\
Kids Definition of abuse
(Entry 1 of 2)
abuse
verb
\
Kids Definition of abuse (Entry 2 of 2)
abuse
noun
\
Medical Definition of abuse
(Entry 1 of 2)
abuse
transitive verb
\
Medical Definition of abuse (Entry 2 of 2)
Other Words from abuse
\
adjective
abuse
transitive verb
\
Legal Definition of abuse
(Entry 1 of 2)
abuse
noun
\
Legal Definition of abuse (Entry 2 of 2)
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on abuse
What made you want to look up abuse? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
A Green Quiz
-
- What is the best definition of green-eyed monster?
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
A Green Quiz
How many questions can you answer about the word "green"?
Take the quiz -
Return of Name that Color!
Additional colors! More obscure than before!
Take the quiz -
Name That Thing
Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!
Take the quiz -
Bee Cubed
Listen to the words and spell through all three levels.
Play the game
Share abuse
Resources for abuse