abuse

noun

/əˈbjuːs/

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[uncountable, singular] the use of something in a way that is wrong or harmful synonym misuse
- alcohol/drug abuse
- The system of paying cash bonuses is open to abuse (= might be used in the wrong way).
- The legal system is open to abuse.
- abuse of something He was arrested on charges of corruption and abuse of power.
- What she did was an abuse of her position as manager.
see also racket abuse, racquet abuse, solvent abuse, substance abuse
Wordfinder
- abuse
- addict
- deal
- dependence
- detoxification
- drug
- hallucinate
- overdose
- rehab
- withdrawal
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- alcohol
- drug
- solvent
- …
verb + abuse
- prevent
- stop
- investigate
- …
preposition
- abuse of
phrases
- the abuse of power
See full entry
[uncountable, plural] unfair, cruel or violent treatment of somebody
- child abuse
- sexual abuse
- reported abuses by the secret police
- She suffered years of physical abuse.
see also child abuse, elder abuse, self-abuse
Extra Examples
- allegations of child abuse
- six cases of suspected child abuse
- allegations of human rights abuses
- She was subjected to regular sexual abuse.
- The child had taken a lot of emotional abuse.
- abuse of prisoners
Topics Crime and punishmentc1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- emotional
- physical
- psychological
- …
… of abuse
- case
verb + abuse
- commit
- subject somebody to
- experience
- …
abuse + verb
- happen
- occur
- take place
- …
abuse + noun
- victim
phrases
- an allegation of abuse
- a perpetrator of abuse
- a victim of abuse
- …
See full entry
[uncountable] rude and offensive remarks, usually made when somebody is very angry synonym insult
- to scream/hurl/shout abuse
- a stream/torrent of abuse
- The man burst into a torrent of foul-mouthed racist abuse.
Extra Examples
- The team who lost became a target of abuse for angry fans.
- They had to endure continual racial abuse.
- He was subjected to a torrent of abuse.
- Calling someone stupid is definitely a term of abuse.
Topics Feelingsc1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- verbal
- personal
- racial
- …
… of abuse
- stream
- torrent
verb + abuse
- hurl
- scream
- shout
- …
phrases
- heap abuse on somebody/something
- a target for abuse
- a target of abuse
- …
See full entry

Word Originlate Middle English: via Old French from Latin abus- ‘misused’, from the verb abuti, from ab- ‘away’ (i.e. ‘wrongly’) + uti ‘to use’.

abuse

verb

/əˈbjuːz/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they abuse	/əˈbjuːz/ /əˈbjuːz/
he / she / it abuses	/əˈbjuːzɪz/ /əˈbjuːzɪz/
past simple abused	/əˈbjuːzd/ /əˈbjuːzd/
past participle abused	/əˈbjuːzd/ /əˈbjuːzd/
-ing form abusing	/əˈbjuːzɪŋ/ /əˈbjuːzɪŋ/

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abuse something to make bad use of something, or to use so much of something that it harms your health
- to abuse alcohol/drugs
- He systematically abused his body with heroin and cocaine.
- People who abuse alcohol over a long period will develop health problems.
abuse something to use power or knowledge unfairly or wrongly
- She abused her position as principal by giving jobs to her friends.
- He felt they had abused his trust by talking about him to the press (= tricked him, although he had trusted them).
abuse somebody/something to treat a person or an animal in a cruel or violent way, especially sexually
- The boy had been sexually abused.
- All the children had been physically and emotionally abused.
- abused children
Topics Crime and punishmentc1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- emotionally
- mentally
- physically
- …
See full entry
abuse somebody to make rude or offensive remarks to or about somebody synonym insult
- The referee had been threatened and verbally abused.
- He claimed he had been racially abused.
Extra Examples
- The striker has been banned for the rest of the season for verbally abusing a referee.
- Journalists covering the case have been threatened and abused.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- emotionally
- mentally
- physically
- …
See full entry
More Like This Pronunciation changes by part of speech
Pronunciation changes by part of speech
- abuse
- alternate
- advocate
- approximate
- contract
- converse
- convict
- decrease
- delegate
- discount
- duplicate
- estimate
- export
- extract
- graduate
- import
- intimate
- moderate
- object
- permit
- present
- protest
- record
- refund
- refuse
- subject
- suspect
- survey
- torment
- upgrade

Word Originlate Middle English: via Old French from Latin abus- ‘misused’, from the verb abuti, from ab- ‘away’ (i.e. ‘wrongly’) + uti ‘to use’.