use

Other forms: used; using; uses

Say the daughter of your favorite musician just enrolled at your school. If you just use her to get to meet her rock star dad, that's pretty unkind.

Use is an old word with a lot of, well, uses. You can use a bike to get to school, or use up an entire tube of toothpaste in one vigorous brushing session. You might have to show Grandma how to use the 3-in-1 remote control. As a noun use means "purpose." As a verb, use means either "put to work," or "work something until there isn't anything left," unless you use your friend, meaning you exploit her.

Definitions of use

1. verb

   put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose
   “use your head!”

   “we only use Spanish at home”

   “I can't use this tool”

   “use the plastic bags to store the food”

   “He doesn't know how to use a computer”

   synonyms: apply, employ, utilise, utilize

   apply, practice

   avail oneself to

   types:

   commit, consecrate, dedicate, devote, give

   give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause

   play

   employ in a game or in a specific position

   play

   use or move

   pull out all the stops

   use all resources available

   assign, put

   attribute or give

   ply

   use diligently

   address

   address or apply oneself to something, direct one's efforts towards something, such as a question

   waste

   use inefficiently or inappropriately

   misapply, misuse

   apply to a wrong thing or person; apply badly or incorrectly

   avail

   use to one's advantage

   overdrive, overuse

   make use of too often or too extensively

   cannibalise, cannibalize

   use parts of something to repair something else

   recycle, reprocess, reuse

   use again after processing

   exploit, work

   use or manipulate to one's advantage

   exploit, tap

   draw from; make good use of

   extend, strain

   use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity

   exercise, exert

   put to use

   enjoy

   have benefit from

   take

   travel or go by means of a certain kind of transportation, or a certain route

   share

   use jointly or in common

   put to work, work

   cause to work

   implement

   apply in a manner consistent with its purpose or design

   fall back, recur, resort

   have recourse to

   manipulate

   skillfully utilize, process, or operate on

   exercise, work, work out

   give a workout to

   warm up

   cause to do preliminary exercises so as to stretch the muscles

   maximise, maximize

   make the most of

   consecrate, vow

   dedicate to a deity by a vow

   rededicate

   dedicate anew

   promote

   change a pawn for a better piece by advancing it to the eighth row, or change a checker piece for a more valuable piece by moving it to the row closest to your opponent

   repose

   put or confide something in a person or thing

   rehash

   present or use over, with no or few changes

   make hay

   turn to one's advantage

   play

   use to one's advantage

   harness

   exploit the power of

   mine

   get from the earth by excavation

   quarry

   extract (something such as stones) from or as if from a quarry

   overexploit

   exploit excessively

   commercialise, commercialize

   exploit for maximal profit, usually by sacrificing quality

   milk

   exploit as much as possible

   overextend, overstrain

   strain excessively

   task, tax

   use to the limit

   avail, help

   take or use

   feed, prey

   profit from in an exploitatory manner

   computerise, computerize, cybernate

   control a function, process, or creation by a computer

   reclaim, recover

   reuse (materials from waste products)

   double up

   share a room or a bed designed for only one person

   pool

   combine into a common fund

   communalise, communalize

   make something the property of the commune or community

   rack

   put on a rack and pinion

   exploit, overwork

   work excessively hard

   apply

   apply oneself to

   parlay

   exploit a skill or resource in order to get something of greater value
2. verb

   seek or achieve an end by using to one's advantage
   “She uses her influential friends to get jobs”

   “The president's wife used her good connections”

   types:

   take advantage, trespass

   make excessive use of

   encroach, entrench, impinge, trench

   impinge or infringe upon

   type of:

   exploit, work

   use or manipulate to one's advantage
3. verb

   take or consume (regularly or habitually)
   synonyms: habituate

   types:

   drink, tope

   drink excessive amounts of alcohol; be an alcoholic

   board

   lodge and take meals (at)

   type of:

   consume, have, ingest, take, take in

   serve oneself to, or consume regularly
4. verb

   use up, consume fully
   synonyms: expend

   types:

   abuse, misuse, pervert

   change the inherent purpose or function of something

   abuse

   use wrongly or improperly or excessively

   spare

   use frugally or carefully

   occupy, take, use up

   require (time or space)

   blow, squander, waste

   spend thoughtlessly; throw away

   fracture

   violate or abuse

   take in vain

   use a name, such as God, without proper respect

   be

   spend or use time

   burn

   spend (significant amounts of money)
5. verb

   avail oneself to
   “use care when going down the stairs”

   “use your common sense”

   synonyms: apply, practice

   apply, employ, utilise, utilize

   put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose

   types:

   follow

   adhere to or practice
6. verb

   habitually do something (use only in the past tense)
   “She used to call her mother every week but now she calls only occasionally”

   “I used to get sick when I ate in that dining hall”

   “They used to vacation in the Bahamas”

   type of:

   act, move

   perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)