ill-using

verb

present participle of ill-use
as in abusing
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon some of the employees felt so ill-used by the new manager that they quit

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-using
  1. abusing
  2. bullying
  3. torturing
Verb
  • In an earlier episode, Pam confronts Grace’s mother about abusing her daughter and ends up bashing in the woman’s head with a meat tenderizer — which sounds like a pivotal moment but plays more like a side quest.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The former owner of several unlicensed North Texas boarding homes pleaded guilty Monday to financially abusing and fatally neglecting elderly and disabled people in her care, according to court filings.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of abusing
Verb
  • As recess is one of the most active places for bullying to take place, Rhea wanted to counteract that trend.
    — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Washington should project vision and leadership to its friends, not jarring uncertainty and bullying transactionalism.
    — Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of bullying
Verb
  • Guevara has never been charged with a crime in connection with allegedly torturing supsects, and the statute of limitations has long since expired on any such charges, Felker said.
    — Chris Tye, CBS News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • In 1996, Pike was found guilty of first-degree murder for beating, torturing and killing Slemmer, a fellow Jobs Corps worker, in a remote area of the University of Tennessee Agricultural campus.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of torturing
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.

Browse Nearby Words

ill-uses
ill-using
illusion
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Cite this Entry

“Ill-using.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-using. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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