abuse

1.

/əˈbjus/

cruel or inhumane treatment

2.

/əˈbjuz/

treat badly

Other forms: abused; abuses; abusing

If you abuse someone, it means you are hurting that person, mentally, emotionally, or physically. If someone else is harming you, you are yourself suffering from abuse.

The word abuse is made up of two parts — "use," which means to employ, and ab-, a Latin prefix meaning "away" — and as a whole comes from the Latin abūsus, meaning "misuse," or "use wrongly." It began as a verb and became a noun in the mid-15th century. Abuse also refers to anything that is employed improperly or to excess, such as the abuse of alcohol or drugs.

Definitions of abuse (/əˈbjus/)

1. noun

   cruel or inhumane treatment
   synonyms: ill-treatment, ill-usage, maltreatment

   types:

   child abuse

   the physical or emotional or sexual mistreatment of children

   child neglect

   failure of caretakers to provide adequate emotional and physical care for a child

   persecution

   the act of persecuting (especially on the basis of race or religion)

   cruelty, inhuman treatment

   a cruel act; a deliberate infliction of pain and suffering

   impalement

   the act of piercing with a sharpened stake as a form of punishment or torture

   oppression, subjugation

   the act of subjugating by cruelty

   pogrom

   organized persecution of an ethnic group (especially Jews)

   rendition

   handing over prisoners to countries where torture is allowed

   torture, torturing

   the deliberate, systematic, or wanton infliction of physical or mental suffering by one or more persons in an attempt to force another person to yield information or to make a confession or for any other reason

   atrocity, inhumanity

   an act of atrocious cruelty

   type of:

   mistreatment

   cruel or unfair behavior toward a person or thing
2. noun

   a rude expression intended to offend or hurt
   synonyms: contumely, insult, revilement, vilification

   types:

   low blow

   unscrupulous abuse

   billingsgate, scurrility

   foul-mouthed or abusive language

   cut, stinger

   a remark capable of wounding mentally

   invective, vitriol, vituperation

   abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter deep-seated ill will

   type of:

   discourtesy, disrespect

   an expression of lack of respect
3. noun

   improper or excessive use
   “alcohol abuse”

   “the abuse of public funds”

   synonyms: misuse

   types:

   drug abuse, habit, substance abuse

   excessive use of drugs

   alcohol abuse, alcoholic abuse, alcoholism abuse

   excessive use of alcohol and alcoholic drinks

   type of:

   employment, exercise, usage, use, utilisation, utilization

   the act of using