abuse

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) Improper treatment or usage; application to a wrong or bad purpose; an unjust, corrupt or wrongful practice or custom.
2. (countable, uncountable) Misuse; improper use; perversion.
3. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A delusion; an imposture; misrepresentation; deception.
4. (countable, uncountable) Coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; language that unjustly or angrily vilifies.
5. (archaic, countable, uncountable) Catachresis.
6. (countable, uncountable) Physical maltreatment; injury; cruel treatment.
7. (countable, uncountable) Violation; defilement; rape; forcing of undesired sexual activity by one person on another, often on a repeated basis.

Verb

1. (transitive) To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to use improperly; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert
2. (transitive) To injure; to maltreat; to hurt; to treat with cruelty, especially repeatedly.
3. (transitive) To attack with coarse language; to insult; to revile; malign; to speak in an offensive manner to or about someone; to disparage.
4. (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.
5. (archaic, transitive) To violate; defile; to rape; (reflexive) to masturbate.
6. (obsolete, transitive) Misrepresent; adulterate.
7. (obsolete, transitive) To deceive; to trick; to impose on; misuse the confidence of.
8. (Scotland, obsolete, transitive) Disuse.

Synonyms

insult

misuse

curse

reproach

revile

scold

censure

mistreat

slander

rebuke

swear

affront

maltreat

ill-treat

blame

offend

vilify

maltreatment

contumely

ill-use

torture

defame

reviling

wrong

rape

vituperate

violate

pervert

harm

calumny

mistreatment

swear at

swearing

vilification

ill-usage

invective

revilement

reprimand

berate

quarrel

ill-treatment

rail

call names

attack

👊

offence

misappropriation

vice

defamation

misapply

scolding

Translations

abus

Missbrauch

abuso

abuso

abuser

abuso

missbrauchen

insulter

Beschimpfung

abusare

κατάχρηση

Beleidigung

abusar

beschimpfen

Schmähung

Pronounced as (IPA)

/əˈbjuːs/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: abusen

In summary

From Middle English abusen, then from either Old French abus (“improper use”), or from Latin abūsus (“misused, using up”), perfect active participle of abūtor (“make improper use of, consume, abuse”), from ab (“away”) + ūtor (“to use”). Equivalent to ab- + use.

Sentences

The Council on Mind Abuse took a very negative view of " The Satanic Bible ".