abuse
noun
- 1
Improper treatment or usage; application to a wrong or bad purpose; an unjust, corrupt or wrongful practice or custom.
“All abuse, whether physical, verbal, psychological or sexual, is bad.”
- 2
Misuse; improper use; perversion.
- 3
A delusion; an imposture; misrepresentation; deception.
- 4
Coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; language that unjustly or angrily vilifies.
- 5
Catachresis.
- 6
Physical maltreatment; injury; cruel treatment.
- 7
Violation; defilement; rape; forcing of undesired sexual activity by one person on another, often on a repeated basis.
verb
- 1
To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to use improperly; to misuse; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert
“He abused his authority.”
- 2
To injure; to maltreat; to hurt; to treat with cruelty, especially repeatedly.
- 3
To attack with coarse language; to insult; to revile; malign; to speak in an offensive manner to or about someone; to disparage.
- 4
To imbibe a drug for a purpose other than it was intended; to intentionally take more of a drug than was prescribed for recreational reasons; to take illegal drugs habitually.
- 5
To violate; defile; to rape.
- 6
Misrepresent; adulterate.
- 7
To deceive; to trick; to impose on; misuse the confidence of.
- 8
Disuse.
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