ILL-USED Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

ill-used

verb

past tense of ill-use

as in abused

to inflict physical or emotional harm upon some of the employees felt so ill-used by the new manager that they quit

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-used

Verb

That body, established in 2017 in response to the crimes of Larry Nassar, the Michigan physician who serially abused young gymnasts, can investigate misconduct, including nonsexual misconduct, in any Olympic sport.

— Ian Parker, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
Two other people claimed to have been abused by the artist during their childhood, according to Libération, but are also not included in the case headed to trial because the incidents took place too far in the past.

— Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of abused

Verb

Yes, Stark has painted, or, more accurately, anodized, powder-coated, and otherwise bullied into submission just about everything to black.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026
Newcastle were not only beaten, but they were also bullied and battered into submission — physically overpowered and outplayed in every facet.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of bullied

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ill-use

ill-used

ill-uses

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“Ill-used.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-used. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of ill-used

verb

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