abuse
English
/əˈbjuːs/, /əˈbjus/, /əˈbjuːz/, /əˈbjuz/
noun
Definitions
- Improper treatment or usage; application to a wrong or bad purpose; an unjust, corrupt or wrongful practice or custom.
- Misuse; improper use; perversion.
- (obsolete) A delusion; an imposture; misrepresentation; deception.
- Coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; language that unjustly or angrily vilifies.
- (now) Catachresis.
- Physical maltreatment; injury; cruel treatment.
- Violation; defilement; rape; forcing of undesired sexual activity by one person on another, often on a repeated basis.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English abusen derived from Old French abus (improper use) derived from Latin abūsus (misused, using up, wasted, consumed) prefix from English use.
Origin
English
use
Gloss
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- abusability English
- abusable English
- abusage English
- abusee English
- abuseful English
- abusefully English
- abusefulness English
- abusement English
- abuser English
- abusest English
- abuseth English
- abusive English
- abusively English
- abusiveness English
- antiabuse English
- coabuse English
- coabuser English
- disabuse English
- disabuser English
- disabuseth English
- hyper-use English
- misuse English
- multiuse English
- nonabuser English
- nonabusive English
- nonuse English
- overuse English
- peruse English
- polyabuse English
- polyabuser English
- re-abuse English
- reabuse English
- reuse English
- self-abuse English
- time-use English
- unabusive English
- underuse English
- unuse English
- use English
- used English
- usee English
- useful English
- useless English
- user English
- usest English
- useth English
- usewear English
- abusus Latin
- abūsus Latin
- abuso Italian
- usare Italian
- abus French
- abusif French
- abuso Spanish, Castilian
- abuso Portuguese
- abusen Middle English
- use Middle English
- abus Old French
- uzi Esperanto
- abús Catalan, Valencian
- abuus Middle Dutch
- abus Norman
- abuser Norman
- abûther Norman
- yusim Tok Pisin
- use
- used
- user
- usee
- useth
- unuse
- usest
- reuse
- abuser
- nonuse
- peruse
- abusee
- misuse
- useful
- overuse
- abusest
- reabuse
- usewear
- abuseth
- abusive
- coabuse
- useless
- abusage
- abuseful
- multiuse
- re-abuse
- abusable
- coabuser
- disabuse
- time-use
- underuse
- disabuser
- abusively
- hyper-use
- unabusive
- abusement
- nonabuser
- antiabuse
- polyabuse
- polyabuser
- self-abuse
- disabuseth
- abusefully
- nonabusive
- abusiveness
- abusability
- abusefulness