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abuse

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abuse¹

  • /əˈbjuːs/ UK
  • /əˈbjʉws/ British, Southern, Standard
  • /əˈbjus/ US
  • /əˈbjʉːs/ Australia, New Zealand
  • /əˈbjʉs/ Northern Ireland, Scotland
  • /əˈbɪʊs/ Wales

Rhymes with -uːs

Where it comes from

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.

noun abuses

  1. countable, uncountable Improper treatment or usage; application to a wrong or bad purpose; an unjust, corrupt or wrongful practice or custom. human rights abuses

    Similar: abusage

  2. countable, uncountable Misuse; improper use; perversion. Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty, as well as by the abuses of power.
  3. countable, obsolete, uncountable A delusion; an imposture; misrepresentation; deception. Or is it some abuse, and no such thing?
  4. countable, uncountable Coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; language that unjustly or angrily vilifies. children hurling abuse at each other

    Similar: invective, contumely, reproach, scurrility, insult, opprobrium

  5. archaic, countable, uncountable Catachresis.

    Similar: abusio

  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.

abuse²

  • /əˈbjuːz/ UK
  • /əˈbjuz/ US

Rhymes with -uːz

Where it comes from

From Middle English abusen, from Middle French abuser, from Latin abūsus (“misused, using up”), perfect active participle of abūtor (“to use up, misuse, consume”), from ab (“from, away from”) + ūtor (“to use”).

verb abuses · abusing · abused

  1. transitive To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to use improperly; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert He abused his authority.
  2. transitive To injure; to maltreat; to hurt; to treat with cruelty, especially repeatedly. Blows with the fist should be given on the back of the woman, which she is sitting on the lap of the man, and she should give blows in return, abusing the man as if she were angry, and making the cooing and the weeping sounds.

    Similar: maltreat, injure, abuse, annoy, bewound, damage, damnify, dere, do damage to, do for, do ill, do violence to

  3. transitive To attack with coarse language; to insult; to revile; malign; to speak in an offensive manner to or about someone; to disparage. The […] tellers of news abused the general.

    Similar: misuse, vitriol, vituperate, abuse, affront, burn, carry, cut down, disrespect, dis, diss, give stick

  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. Like Angels life was then mens happy cace; But later ages pride, like corn-fed ſteed, Abuſd her plenty, and fat ſwolne encreace To all licentious luſt, and gan exceed

    Similar: outrage, ravish, self-abuse, touch oneself, abuse, constuprate, defile, defoul, dishonour, force, misuse, oppress

  6. obsolete, transitive Misrepresent; adulterate. Believe me, sir, he hath been abused, grossly abused to you.
  7. obsolete, transitive To deceive; to trick; to impose on; misuse the confidence of. 1651-2, Jeremy Taylor, "Sermon VI, The House of Feasting; or, The Epicures Measures", in The works of Jeremy Taylor, Volume 1, page 283 (1831), edited by Thomas Smart Hughes When Cyrus had espied Astyages and his fellows coming drunk from a banquet loaden with variety of follies and filthiness, thei

    Similar: con, hustle, abuse, beglammer, counterfeit, deceive, catch, trap into, dissemble, dissimulate, feign, jiff

  8. Scotland, obsolete, transitive Disuse.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: misuse, ill-treatment, ill-treat, ill-usage, ill-use, revilement, maltreat, mistreat, maltreatment, insult, pervert, contumely, shout, clapperclaw, blackguard, malfeasance

Translations

Every language

noun corrupt practice

Portuguêsabuso
Françaisabus
DeutschMissbrauch
Italianoabuso
Ελληνικάκατάχρηση katáchrisi
Românăabuz
Русскийзлоупотребле́ние zloupotreblénije
العربيةتَعَسُّف taʕassuf, طُغْيَان ṭuḡyān, ظُلْم ẓulm, جَوْر jawr

noun improper usage

Españolabuso
한국어남용 namyong
日本語濫用 ran'yō
中文濫權 /滥权 lànquán, 濫用 /滥用 lànyòng
हिन्दीदुरूपयोग durūpyog
Portuguêsabuso
Françaisabus
DeutschMissbrauch
Italianoabuso
Ελληνικάκατάχρηση katáchrisi
Românăabuz
Русскийзлоупотребле́ние zloupotreblénije
العربيةاِسَاءَة اِسْتِخْدَام
עבריתניצול לרעה nitzúl l'rá'a

noun insulting speech

한국어모욕 moyok
日本語侮辱 bujoku
中文辱罵 /辱骂 rǔmà, rùmà, 咒罵 /咒骂 zhòumà
हिन्दीअपशब्द apśabd, गाली gālī
Portuguêsabuso
Françaisinsulte, offense, injure
DeutschBeschimpfung, Schmähung, Beleidigung
Ελληνικάβρισιές vrisiés, κακοποίηση
Românăabuz verbal, jignire verbală, ofensă verbală
Русскийоскорбле́ние oskorblénije, брань branʹ, ру́гань rúganʹ, оби́да obída
العربيةمَسَبَّة masabba, شَتِيمَة šatīma
עבריתהשתלחות hishtalkhút

noun physical maltreatment

Españolabuso
한국어학대 hakdae
日本語虐待 gyakutai
中文虐待 nüèdài
Portuguêsabuso
Françaisabus
DeutschMisshandlung
Italianoabuso, violenza
Ελληνικάκακομεταχείριση kakometacheírisi, κακοποίηση kakopoíisi
Românăviolență, abuz fizic
Русскийиздева́тельство izdevátelʹstvo, истяза́ние istjazánije, жесто́кое обраще́ние žestókoje obraščénije, напа́дки napádki
العربيةإِيذَاء جَسَدِيّ ʔīḏāʔ jasadiyy
עבריתהתעללות hit'al'lút

noun sexual violation or assault

Españolabuso sexual
Portuguêsabuso
Françaisviol
DeutschMissbrauch
Italianoabuso sessuale, violenza carnale
Ελληνικάκακοποίηση kakopoíisi
Românăviolență sexuală, abuz sexual
Русскийнаси́лие nasílije
العربيةاِنْتِهَاك جَسَدِيّ intihāk jasadiyy
עבריתתקיפה מינית t'kifá minít

verb to use improperly

日本語濫用する ran'yō suru
中文濫用 /滥用 lànyòng
Portuguêsabusar
Françaisabuser
Deutschmissbrauchen
Italianoabusare
Ελληνικάκαταχρώμαι katachrómai
Românăabuza
Русскийзлоупотребля́ть zloupotrebljátʹ, злоупотреби́ть zloupotrebítʹ
Tiếng Việtlạm dụng
العربيةأَسَاءَ اِسْتِعْمَالَ ʔasāʔa istiʕmāla
עבריתניצל לרעה nitzél l'rá'a

verb to hurt

Españolabusar
日本語酷使する kokushi suru, 虐待する gyakutai suru
中文虐待 nüèdài, 摧殘 /摧残 cuīcán
Portuguêsabusar
Françaisabuser
Deutschmissbrauchen
Italianoabusare
Русскийиздева́ться izdevátʹsja
Tiếng Việtbạo hành
العربيةآذَى ʔāḏā
עבריתהתעלל hitalél

verb to insult

한국어모욕하다 moyokhada
日本語罵る nonoshiru, 罵倒する batō suru, 侮辱する bujoku suru
中文辱罵 /辱骂 rǔmà, 侮辱 wǔrǔ
हिन्दीबुरा भला कहना burā bhalā kahnā, गाली देना gālī denā
Portuguêsinsultar, ultrajar, afrontar, ofender
Deutschbeschimpfen, beleidigen
Italianoinsultare
Русскийоскорбля́ть oskorbljátʹ, оскорби́ть oskorbítʹ, обижа́ть obižátʹ, оби́деть obídetʹ, руга́ть rugátʹ, обруга́ть obrugátʹ
العربيةأَهَانَ ʔahāna, سَبَّ sabba, شَتَمَ šatama
עבריתהשתלח hishtaléakh

verb to rape

Españolviolar
한국어강간하다 gangganhada, 성폭행하다 seongpokhaenghada
日本語性的虐待する seitekigyakutai suru
中文摧殘 /摧残 cuīcán
Portuguêsabusar
Françaisabuser
Deutschvergewaltigen, missbrauchen
Italianoviolentare
Русскийнаси́ловать nasílovatʹ, изнаси́ловать iznasílovatʹ
العربيةاِغْتَصَبَ iḡtaṣaba, اِنْتَهَكَ intahaka

verb to deceive

Españolengañar
Portuguêsenganar
Italianoingannare
العربيةخَدَعَ ḵadaʕa, غَشَّ ḡašša, ضَلَّلَ ḍallala

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MLA

"abuse." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/abuse. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

abuse. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/abuse

Chicago

"abuse." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/abuse.

BibTeX
@misc{abuse_2026,
  title = {abuse},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/abuse},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}