abuse
/əˈbjuz/ verb C2- 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.
- To injure; to maltreat; to hurt; to treat with cruelty, especially repeatedly.
- To attack with coarse language; to insult; to revile; malign; to speak in an offensive manner to or about someone; to disparage.
- 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.
He/she/it abuses · Past abused · Past participle abused · -ing form abusing
Verb forms
- Base form
- abuse
- He/she/it
- abuses
- Past
- abused
- Past participle
- abused
- -ing form
- abusing
From the library
Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way?
When dinner was over, she returned directly to Jane, and Miss Bingley began abusing her as soon as she was out of the room.
His resentment was in proportion to the distress of his circumstances--and he was doubtless as violent in his abuse of me to others as in his reproaches to myself.
Gardiner abused her stupidity.
Other matches
Learn abuse in real texts
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