|
|
- parts of speech:
- transitive verb, noun
- features:
- Word Combinations (verb, noun), Word Explorer, Word Parts
| part of speech: |
transitive verb |
| pronunciation: |
byuz
|
| inflections: |
abuses, abusing, abused |
| definition 1: |
to use in an improper or incorrect manner; misuse.
If you abuse your privileges, you will lose them.He began to abuse alcohol after his divorce.- synonyms:
- misapply, misemploy, misuse, pervert
- similar words:
- exploit, mishandle, profane
|
| definition 2: |
to treat in a manner that causes injury or offense.
Seeing the boy's injuries, the doctor suspected that some adult had abused him.Smokers abuse their own lungs.- synonyms:
- aggrieve, disrespect, ill-treat, ill-use, maltreat, mistreat, misuse, wrong
- antonyms:
- honor, mollycoddle, respect
- similar words:
- affront, batter, beat, belabor, harm, hit, hurt, injure, manhandle, mishandle, molest, offend, oppress, persecute, punish, shaft, strike, torment
|
| definition 3: |
to talk to or of in an offensive or unfair manner.
You can say what you like about me, but don't start abusing my friends.- synonyms:
- badmouth, chew out, excoriate, insult, malign, revile, tongue-lash, vilify, wrong
- antonyms:
- adulate, compliment, flatter, praise
- similar words:
- affront, anathematize, assail, belabor, berate, blackguard, bullyrag, curse, denigrate, disparage, flay, inveigh against, lambaste, lash, objurgate, offend, rail at, upbraid, vituperate
|
| related words: |
assassinate, attack, bully, defile, discredit, insult, misappropriate, outrage, ravish, rough, scold, traduce, use, violate |
adverb + (v.)abuse
allegedly, emotionally, mentally, physically, sexually, verbally
(v.)abuse
+ noun
authority, discretion, power, priest, privilege, trust
|
|
|
| part of speech: |
noun |
| pronunciation: |
byus
|
| definition 1: |
improper or incorrect use; misuse.
The revolutionaries struggled against corruption and the government's abuse of power.- synonyms:
- misuse
- similar words:
- exploitation
|
| definition 2: |
injurious or offensive treatment.
Child abuse is a serious crime.After years of abuse, she decided to leave her husband.- synonyms:
- ill-treatment, ill-usage, ill-use, maltreatment, mistreatment, misusage, wrong
- antonyms:
- care
- similar words:
- battery, beating, harm, injury, mistreatment, punishment, torture, work
|
| definition 3: |
offensive or unfair comments or language.
The enemies hurled abuse at each other.- synonyms:
- disparagement, invective, obloquy, tongue-lashing, vilification
- antonyms:
- flattery, praise
- similar words:
- billingsgate, contumely, curse, diatribe, insult, malediction, philippic, scolding, scurrility, shaft, slur, vituperation
|
| definition 4: |
a corrupt procedure or custom.
New laws were set up to prevent abuses within the welfare system.- synonyms:
- exploitation, malfeasance, misdeed, wrongdoing
- similar words:
- corruption, misfeasance, wrong
|
| related words: |
affront, aspersion, assault, attack, brutality, malpractice, obloquy, offense |
adjective + (n.)abuse
adolescent,
alleged,
criminal,
domestic,
elder,
emotional,
gross,
parental,
physical,
psychological,
rampant,
reported,
ritual,
satanic,
severe,
sexual,
spousal,
steroid,
suspected,
systematic,
teenage,
verbal,
widespread
[See all][See only the most frequent]
verb + (n.)abuse
accuse, allege, constitute, curb, document, endure, experience, investigate, prevent, report, suffer, tolerate, witness
(n.)abuse
+ verb
commit, heap, neglect
noun + (n.)abuse
accusation,
addiction,
alcohol,
alcoholism,
allegation,
beating,
case,
charge,
child,
childhood,
clergy,
cocaine,
complaint,
corruption,
criteria,
depression,
drug,
fraud,
harassment,
incest,
incidence,
incident,
indicator,
instance,
lawsuit,
lifetime,
memory,
perpetrator,
potential,
poverty,
prescription,
prevalence,
prison,
prisoner,
rape,
sex,
spouse,
substance,
survivor,
suspicion,
trauma,
victim,
violence,
waste
[See all][See only the most frequent]
|
| derivation: |
abuser (n.) |
The word abuse
contains the following parts:
ab-, abs-
Latin
prefix
that means from, away from
  More about this word part:
Most words containing the prefix ab-
, abs-
are Latin loanwords, so the bases are Latin roots. ab-
becomes abs-
before bases beginning with "t," such as "tract."
Example words:
abbreviate, abbreviation, abdicate, abduct, aberrant, aberration, abhor, abject, abjure, ablate, ablation, abnormal, abolish, aborigine, abrade, abrasion, abrasive, abrupt, abscond, absence, absent, absolute, absolve, absorb, abstain, abstract, abnegate, abuse, abusive
us, ut, util
Latin
root
that means use
Example words:
abuse, abusive, misuse, use, useful, useless, usual, usury, utensil, utilitarian, utility, utilize
|