abuse in English dictionary

  • abuse

    Meanings and definitions of "abuse"

    • (transitive) To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to use improperly; to misuse; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert; as, to abuse one's authority. [from early 15th c.]
    • (transitive) To injure; to maltreat; to hurt; to treat with cruelty.
    • (transitive) To attack with coarse language; to insult; to revile.
    • (transitive) (obsolete) To deceive; to trick; to impose on.
    • (Can we date this quote?) Their eyes red and staring, cozened with a moist cloud, and abused by a double object. - Jeremy Taylor (1633-67)
    • Improper treatment or usage; application to a wrong or bad purpose; misuse; perversion. [from 15th c]
    • Physical or verbal maltreatment; injury.
    • Forcing of undesired sexual activity by one person on another
    • An unjust, corrupt or wrongful practice or custom; offense; crime; fault.
    • Coarse, insulting speech; abusive language.
    • noun
      Improper treatment or usage; application to a wrong or bad purpose; an unjust, corrupt or wrongful practice or custom. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]
    • noun
      Misuse; improper use; perversion. [First attested in the mid 16 th century.]
    • noun
      (obsolete)
      A delusion; an imposture; misrepresentation; deception. [Attested from the mid 16 th century until the mid 17 th century.]
    • noun
      Coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; language that unjustly or angrily vilifies. [First attested in the mid 16 th century.]
    • noun
      (now rare)
      Catachresis. [First attested in the late 16 th century.]
    • noun
      Physical maltreatment; injury; cruel treatment. [First attested in the late 16 th century.]
    • noun
      Violation; defilement; rape; forcing of undesired sexual activity by one person on another, often on a repeated basis. [First attested in the late 16 th century.]
    • verb
      (transitive)
      To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to use improperly; to misuse; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert; as, to abuse one's authority. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]
    • verb
      (transitive)
      To injure; to maltreat; to hurt; to treat with cruelty, especially repeatedly. [First attested in the mid 16 th century.]
    • verb
      (transitive)
      To attack with coarse language; to insult; to revile; malign; to speak in an offensive manner to or about someone; to disparage. [First attested in the early 17 th century.]
    • verb
      (transitive)
      To imbibe a drug for a purpose other than it was intended; to intentionally take more of a drug than was prescribed for recreational reasons; to take illegal drugs habitually. [First attested in the mid 20 th century.]
    • verb
      (transitive, archaic)
      To violate; defile; to rape. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]
    • verb
      (transitive, obsolete)
      Misrepresent; adulterate. [Attested from around 1350 to 1470 until the mid 18 th century.]
    • verb
      (transitive, obsolete)
      To deceive; to trick; to impose on; misuse the confidence of. [Attested from the late 15 th century until the early 19 th century.]
    • verb
      (transitive, obsolete, Scotland)
      Disuse. [Attested from the late 15 th century until the mid 16 th century.]
    • insulting speech
    • to use improperly
    • to hurt
    • to rape
    • to insult
    • improper usage
    • sexual assault
    • a corrupt practice
    • To put to a wrong use; to change the inherent purpose or function of something.
    • Improper or excessive treatment or usage (e.g. alchool); application to a wrong or bad purpose (e.g. public funds).
    • Coarse, insulting speech or expression.
    • wave (about)
    • Forcing of undesired sexual activity by one person on another.
    • physical maltreatment
    • noun
      a rude expression intended to offend or hurt; "when a student made a stupid mistake he spared them no abuse"; "they yelled insults at the visiting team"
    • noun
      cruel or inhumane treatment; "the child showed signs of physical abuse"
    • noun
      improper or excessive use; "alcohol abuse"; "the abuse of public funds"
    • verb
      change the inherent purpose or function of something; "Don't abuse the system"; "The director of the factory misused the funds intended for the health care of his workers"
    • verb
      treat badly; "This boss abuses his workers"; "She is always stepping on others to get ahead"
    • verb
      use foul or abusive language towards; "The actress abused the policeman who gave her a parking ticket"; "The angry mother shouted at the teacher"
    • verb
      use wrongly or improperly or excessively; "Her husband often abuses alcohol"; "while she was pregnant, she abused drugs"

    Synonyms of "abuse" in English dictionary

    maltreatment, mistreat, ill-use are the top synonyms of "abuse" in the English thesaurus.

    Grammar and declension of abuse

    • lm  liczba mnoga abuses abused, abused; abuses; abusing
    • abuse ( third-person singular simple present abuses, present participle abusing, simple past and past participle abused)
    • abuse ( plural  abuses)
    • abuse (countable and uncountable, plural abuses)
    • abuse (third-person singular simple present abuses, present participle abusing, simple past and past participle abused)
  • ABUSE
  • Abuse

Sample sentences with "abuse"

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