▸ noun: Improper treatment or usage; application to a wrong or bad purpose; an unjust, corrupt or wrongful practice or custom. ▸ noun: Misuse; improper use; perversion. ▸ noun: (obsolete) A delusion; an imposture; misrepresentation; deception. ▸ noun: Coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; language that unjustly or angrily vilifies. ▸ noun: (now rare) Catachresis. ▸ noun: Physical maltreatment; injury; cruel treatment. ▸ noun: Violation; defilement; rape; forcing of undesired sexual activity by one person on another, often on a repeated basis. ▸ verb: (transitive) To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to use improperly; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert ▸ verb: (transitive) To injure; to maltreat; to hurt; to treat with cruelty, especially repeatedly. ▸ verb: (transitive) To attack with coarse language; to insult; to revile; malign; to speak in an offensive manner to or about someone; to disparage. ▸ verb: (transitive) 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. ▸ verb: (transitive, archaic) To violate; defile; to rape; (reflexive) to masturbate. ▸ verb: (transitive, obsolete) Misrepresent; adulterate. ▸ verb: (transitive, obsolete) To deceive; to trick; to impose on; misuse the confidence of. ▸ verb: (transitive, obsolete, Scotland) Disuse.
Writing poetry or lyrics? You can find related words that match a given meter. This feature is permanently available from the "Related words" tab and from the Thesaurus.
(Click a button above to see words related to "abuse" that fit the given meter.)
