Abuse Definition

ə-byo͝oz

abused, abuses, abusing

verb

abused, abuses, abusing

To use wrongly; misuse.

To abuse a privilege.

Webster's New World

To hurt by treating badly; mistreat.

Webster's New World

To inflict physical, sexual, or psychological harm upon.

Webster's New World

To use insulting, coarse, or bad language about or to; revile.

Webster's New World

To deceive or trick.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

noun

abuses

Wrong, bad, or excessive use.

Webster's New World

Mistreatment, esp. by the infliction of physical, sexual, or psychological harm; injury.

Webster's New World

A bad, unjust, or corrupt custom or practice.

Webster's New World

Insulting or coarse language.

Webster's New World

Deception.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

idiom

abuse oneself

American Heritage

Other Word Forms of Abuse

Singular:

abuse

Plural:

From Middle English abusen, then from either Old French abus (“improper use”), or from Latin abūsus (“misused, using up”), perfect active participle of abūtor (“make improper use of, consume, abuse”), from ab (“away”) + ūtor (“to use”).

From Wiktionary
Middle English abusen from Old French abuser from abus improper use from Latin abūsus past participle of abūtī to misuse ab- away ab–¹ ūtī to use

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From Middle English abusen, from Middle French abuser, from Latin abūsus, perfect active participle of abūtor, from ab (“from, away from”) + ūtor (“to use”).

From Wiktionary