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use¹

  • /juːs/ UK
  • /jus/ Canada, US
  • [jɪu̯s] Canada, US
  • /(j)ɪu̯s/
  • /jʉːs/ Australia, New Zealand
  • /jʉs/ Northern Ireland, Scotland

Rhymes with -uːs

Where it comes from

Inherited from Middle English use, from Old French us, from Latin ūsus (“use, custom, skill, habit”), from past participle stem of ūtor (“use”). Displaced native Middle English note (“use”) (see note) from Old English notu; Middle English nutte (“use”) from Old English nytt; as well as Old English fricu and Old English sidu.

noun uses

  1. countable, uncountable The act of using. The use of torture has been condemned by the United Nations.

    Similar: employment, usage, note, nait

  2. uncountable The act of consuming alcohol or narcotics. Heavy alcohol use (2.5 drinks per day or more) at any age is unhealthy and should be avoided.
  3. uncountable, followed by of Usefulness, utility, benefit; purpose, point. Near-synonyms: meaning, meaningfulness

    Similar: meaning, meaningfulness · Opposite: no use, uselessness, pointlessness, purposelessness, meaninglessness

  4. countable, uncountable A function; a purpose for which something may be employed. This tool has many uses.
  5. countable, uncountable Occasion or need to employ; necessity. I have no further use for these textbooks, but we may have use for all these other things later.
  6. countable, obsolete, rare, uncountable Interest for lent money; premium paid for the use of something; usury. DON PEDRO. Come, lady, come; you have lost the heart of Signior Benedick. BEATRICE. Indeed, my lord, he lent it me awhile; and I gave him use for it, a double heart for a single one: [...]
  7. archaic, countable, uncountable Continued or repeated practice; usage; habit. Let later age that noble vse enuie,
  8. countable, obsolete, uncountable Common occurrence; ordinary experience. O Caesar! these things are beyond all use.
  9. countable, uncountable A special form of a rite adopted for use in a particular context, often a diocese. the Sarum, or Canterbury, use; the York use; the Ordinariate use
  10. countable, uncountable A slab of iron welded to the side of a forging, such as a shaft, near the end, and afterward drawn down, by hammering, so as to lengthen the forging.

use²

  • /juːz/ UK
  • /juz/ Canada, US
  • [jɪu̯z] Canada, US
  • /(j)ɪu̯z/
  • /jʉːz/ Australia, New Zealand
  • /jʉz/ Northern Ireland, Scotland
  • [jʉːz] Northern Ireland, Scotland

Sounds like ewes, yews (in most accents), yous, youse · Rhymes with -uːz

Where it comes from

Inherited from Middle English usen, from Old French user (“use, employ, practice”), from Medieval Latin usare (“use”), frequentative form of past participle stem of Latin uti (“to use”). Displaced native Middle English noten, nutten (“to use”) (from Old English notian, nēotan, nyttian) and Middle English brouken, bruken (“to use, enjoy”) (from Old English brūcan).

verb uses · using · used · use

  1. transitive To employ; to apply; to utilize. Use this knife to slice the bread.

    Similar: apply, employ, engage, utilise, utilize

  2. often, transitive, with up To expend; to consume by employing. I used the money they allotted me.
  3. transitive To exploit. You never cared about me; you just used me!

    Similar: exploit, take advantage of

  4. transitive To consume (alcohol, drugs, etc), especially regularly. He uses cocaine.
  5. intransitive To consume a previously specified substance, especially a drug to which one is addicted. Richard began experimenting with cocaine last year; now he uses almost every day.
  6. transitive, with auxiliary "could" To benefit from; to be able to employ or stand. I could use a drink.
  7. transitive, with gender pronouns as object To suggest or request that other people employ a specific set of gender pronouns when referring to the subject. I use they/them pronouns.

    Similar: go by

  8. To accustom; to habituate. (Now common only in participial form. Uses the same pronunciation as the noun; see usage notes.) soldiers who are used to hardships and danger
  9. obsolete, reflexive, with "to" To accustom oneself. It is not without some difficulty, that a man born in society can form an idea of such savages, and their condition; and unless he has used himself to abstract thinking, he can hardly represent to himself such a state of simplicity, in which man can have so few desires, and no appetites roving beyon
  10. intransitive To habitually do; to be wont to do. (Now chiefly in past-tense forms; see used to.) I used to get things done.
  11. dated To behave toward; to act with regard to; to treat. to use an animal cruelly
  12. obsolete, reflexive To behave, act, comport oneself. 1551, Thomas More, Utopia, London: B. Alsop & T. Fawcet, 1639, “Of Bond-men, Sicke persons, Wedlocke, and divers other matters,” page 231, They live together lovingly: For no Magistrate is either haughty or fearefull. Fathers they be called, and like fathers they use themselves.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: utilisation, utilise, apply, function, utilize, practice, utilization, purpose, employ, employment, usage, habit, manipulation, usance, role, enjoyment

Translations

Every language

noun act of using

Españoluso, usanza, utilización, empleo, usaje (disused)
한국어사용 sayong, 이용 iyong
日本語使用 shiyō, 利用 riyō
中文用 yòng, 使用 shǐyòng, 利用 lìyòng
हिन्दीउपयोग upyog
Kiswahilimatumizi
Portuguêsuso
Françaisusage, emploi, utilisation
DeutschBenutzung, Anwendung, Gebrauch
Italianouso
Ελληνικάχρήση chrísi
Românăfolosire, uz, întrebuințare
Русскийупотребле́ние upotreblénije, примене́ние primenénije, испо́льзование ispólʹzovanije
Tiếng Việtsự dùng
العربيةاِسْتِعْمَال istiʕmāl, اِسْتِخْدَام istiḵdām, اِسْتِفَادَة istifāda
עבריתשימוש \ שִׁמּוּשׁ shimúsh

noun usefulness

Españolutilidad
日本語効用 kōyō, 為 tame
हिन्दीउपयोगिता upyogitā
Portuguêsuso, utilidade
Françaisutilité
DeutschNutzen
Ελληνικάχρησιμότητα chrisimótita
Românăutilitate, folosință, folos
Русскийпо́льза pólʹza, прок prok
Tiếng Việtích

noun function

Españolfunción
日本語用途 yōto, 使い道 tsukaimichi
हिन्दीउपयोग upyog
Portuguêsuso
DeutschFunktion, Zweck, Verwendung
Ελληνικάχρήση chrísi
Românăfuncție, întrebuințare, utilizare
Русскийпримене́ние primenénije

verb employ, apply

Españolusar, utilizar
한국어쓰다 sseuda, 사용(使用)하다 sayonghada
日本語用いる mochiiru, 使う tsukau, 使用する shiyō-suru
中文用 yòng, 使用 shǐyòng, 應用 /应用 yìngyòng
हिन्दीउपयोग करना upyog karnā, इस्तेमाल करना istemāl karnā
Kiswahilitumia
Portuguêsusar, utilizar
Françaisutiliser, se servir (de)
Deutschbenutzen, verwenden, gebrauchen, nutzen
Italianousare, utilizzare
Ελληνικάχρησιμοποιώ chrisimopoió
Românăa utiliza, a folosi
Русскийиспо́льзовать ispólʹzovatʹ, употребля́ть upotrebljátʹ, употреби́ть upotrebítʹ, применя́ть primenjátʹ, примени́ть primenítʹ
Tiếng Việtdùng, xài, sử dụng
العربيةاِسْتَعْمَلَ istaʕmala, اِسْتَخْدَمَ istaḵdama
עבריתהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ hishtamésh

verb to exploit

Deutschausnutzen, zum Vorwand nehmen

verb to exhaust the supply of, to consume

日本語使い尽くす tsukaitsukusu
Deutschverbrauchen
Ελληνικάκαταναλώνω katanalóno
Русскийупотребля́ть upotrebljátʹ, употреби́ть upotrebítʹ

verb rare: to habitually do

Españolsoler, acostumbrar
Portuguêscostumar
Françaisavoir l'habitude de
Deutschzu tun pflegen, gewöhnlich tun
Italianosolere, essere soliti
Ελληνικάσυνηθίζω synithízo
Русскийиме́ть обыкнове́ние imétʹ obyknovénije

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MLA

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

APA

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

Chicago

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

BibTeX
@misc{use_2026,
  title = {use},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/use},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}