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

Caleb Williams, 21, was arraigned Friday in Detroit's 36th District Court on one count of felonious assault and one count of second-degree child abuse. —Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 26 Apr. 2024

The film uncovers the parental abuse suffered by Estonian freestyle skier Kelly Sildary, who became the youngest gold medalist at a Winter X Games event at the age of 13. —Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 26 Apr. 2024

Jeezy swiftly put together up a response debunking the abuse claims and shared it on social media. —Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 26 Apr. 2024

Family, childhood and drug abuse Elders grew up with a loving mother and stepfather, his sister testified Friday. —James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Apr. 2024

But the state and local governments already are straining under the high cost of providing beds, counseling, mental health treatment and substance abuse programs aimed at getting homeless people back on their feet. —Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2024

Business Column: The bogus, homophobic campaign against Biden’s stellar FCC nominee Feb. 3, 2023 Until Thursday, the state laws functioned as bulwarks against net neutrality abuses by ISPs. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024

Multiple agencies investigated them at the time and found that, whatever Dylan Farrow may have been led to believe, absolutely no abuse had ever taken place. —Rebecca Aizin, Peoplemag, 26 Apr. 2024

The man whose decades of serial abuse led to a long-overdue movement was sentenced to 23 years behind bars—likely the rest of the now-72-year-old’s life. —Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2024

Verb

Members of the advocacy group Nate's Mission, named for a man who took his life after being abused as a child by a priest, have raised questions about the department's inquiry. —Journal Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2024

In August 2023, Angel opened up to PEOPLE about how her parents abused alcohol and created a toxic family dynamic that deteriorated when her brothers Nick and Aaron were launched into stardom as kids. —Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024

Superstar Olympian Simone Biles and fellow U.S. gold medalists Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney are among the victims who claimed the FBI did not pursue allegations that Nassar was abusing his patients. —Robert Legare, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2024

Orange County deputy arrested An Orange County police deputy, Francisco Estrella, was also arrested in connection with the case after he was accused of abusing his status to obtain information about the investigation. —Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024

Nucleus would hardly be the last of Amazon’s partners to feel it was abused in such a way. —Dana Mattioli, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024

When the motion gets threatened every week in the Congress, that is being abused. —ABC News, 21 Apr. 2024

The feature was also abused by scammers and online impersonators, and some blue checks became the target of online harassment or mass blocking. —Amrita Khalid, The Verge, 12 Apr. 2024

Examples of schools abusing their pricing power is part of the rationale the administration is using. —Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024

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

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