as in neglect
lack of use
since the car has experienced years of disuse, starting it up won't be easy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disuse
And does a particular level of disuse have to be reached for a word to be dropped into the lexical dustbin?
—
Louis Menand, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
The term fell largely into disuse with the Axis powers’ defeat in 1945.
—Andrew Latham, The Conversation, 8 Dec. 2025
As the demand for Ghana’s goods decreased, so did the need for the industrial railway line, leading to its disuse.
—Edna Bonhomme, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
The Dissolution Of Neural Manifolds Our minds work like muscles, growing stronger through resistance and weaker through disuse.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disuse
Louis Menand, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
The term fell largely into disuse with the Axis powers’ defeat in 1945.
—Andrew Latham, The Conversation, 8 Dec. 2025
As the demand for Ghana’s goods decreased, so did the need for the industrial railway line, leading to its disuse.
—Edna Bonhomme, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025
The Dissolution Of Neural Manifolds Our minds work like muscles, growing stronger through resistance and weaker through disuse.
—Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disuse
Noun
-
Cornelius endorsed the revitalization plan in 2022, which seeks to modernize the area and fix problems stemming from long-term neglect.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Strength in one pillar supports the others; neglect in one weakens all three.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Liz, meanwhile, talks about the abandonment issues she’s dealt with since the loss of her mother, blaming that for her tough exterior.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
-
Parental abandonment is passed down, learned.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Instead of forming quickly and slowly cooling into inactivity, some planetary cores may develop over billions of years while continuing to power magnetic dynamos.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
-
Reducing Pain Fascia can get tight from inactivity, a trauma like injury or surgery, or muscle or joint overuse.—
Scott Haak,
EverydayHealth.com,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disuse. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
