misuse
English · Thesaurus
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misuse¹
- /mɪsˈjuːs/
Rhymes with -uːs
Where it comes from
From mis- + use (noun).
noun misuses
- An incorrect, improper or unlawful use of something. The Queen may be celebrating her jubilee but the Queen's English Society, which has railed against the misuse and deterioration of the English language, is to fold.
misuse²
- /mɪsˈjuːz/
Rhymes with -uːz
Where it comes from
From mis- + use (verb).
verb misuses · misusing · misused · misust
- To use (something) incorrectly.
- To abuse or mistreat (something or someone).
-
To rape (a woman); later more generally, to sexually abuse (someone).
“If that is true she would be the first case I have ever heard of, as most female captives are misused by the entire tribe.”
Similar: abuse, outrage, violate, constuprate, defile, defoul, dishonour, force, misuse, oppress, pollute, rape
- To abuse verbally, to insult. Socrates was brought upon the stage by Aristophanes, and misused to his face: but he laughed, as if it concerned him not […].
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: misapply, abuse, pervert, misapplication, mismanagement, malfeasance, improper, indiscriminate, distract, abusive, abused, deviation, misdirection, frivolity, divert, deflection
Translations
Every language
noun incorrect, improper or unlawful use
| Español | mal uso |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 오용 oyong |
| हिन्दी | दुरुपयोग durupyog |
| Français | mésusage |
| Deutsch | Missbrauch, missbräuchliche Nutzung/Verwendung, Fehlbedienung, Fehlgebrauch, Zweckentfremdung |
| Italiano | abuso |
| Ελληνικά | κατάχρηση katáchrisi |
verb to use something incorrectly
| Deutsch | missbrauchen, zweckentfremden |
|---|---|
| Italiano | usare impropriamente |
| Русский | злоупотребля́ть zloupotrebljátʹ |
verb to abuse or mistreat something or someone
| Español | abusar |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | दुरुपयोग करना durupyog karnā |
| Deutsch | missbrauchen |
| Italiano | abusare |
verb to abuse sexually
| Italiano | abusare, stuprare, violentare |
|---|
Talk about this word "misuse." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/misuse. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. misuse. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/misuse "misuse." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/misuse.Cite this
@misc{misuse_2026,
title = {misuse},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/misuse},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
