abuse
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.cruel or violent treatment of a person or animal.
n.the physical, emotional, or sexual maltreatment of a person or animal. Uncountable in a general sense but often countable when referring to specific instances.
Simple“The charity works to protect children from physical and emotional abuse.”
In context“The investigation uncovered a systemic pattern of abuse within the institution that had been ignored by management for decades.”
Antonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.using something in a wrong or harmful way, like power or drugs.
n.the improper or excessive use of something, particularly substances or positions of authority.
Simple“The reporter exposed the politician's abuse of power during the election.”
In context“Public health initiatives are focusing on the long-term effects of substance abuse in rural communities.”
SynonymsAntonymsproper use - 03 C1 Advanced
n.rude, angry, or insulting words said to someone.
n.offensive, insulting, or vilifying language directed at a person. Usually uncountable.
Simple“The referee had to stop the game because of the verbal abuse from the fans.”
In context“The witness described a torrent of racial abuse directed at the shopkeeper during the confrontation.”
Antonyms - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to treat a person or animal in a cruel or violent way.
v.to subject a person or animal to physical or emotional harm. Transitive verb requiring a direct object.
Simple“He was arrested after neighbours reported that he was abusing his dog.”
In context“The regime was accused of abusing political prisoners to extract confessions before their trials.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to use something wrongly or too much, especially for your own advantage.
v.to use something improperly or for a wrong purpose; to exploit a privilege or substance.
Simple“You should not abuse the trust your manager has placed in you.”
In context“The company was fined for abusing its dominant market position to crush smaller competitors.”
- 06 C1 Advanced
v.to speak to someone in a very rude or insulting way.
v.to attack someone verbally with offensive or disparaging language.
Simple“The angry customer began to abuse the staff when they refused his refund.”
In context“The protesters were seen abusing passers-by who refused to join their demonstration.”
Usage abuse their power · abuse allegations · abuse charges
“He faced an unacceptable public hounding and campaign of abuse.”
“On Saturday afternoons, when her mother dropped her off for private art classes with Berry-Dee, she says the abuse happened multiple times.”
From Middle English abusen, then from either Old French abus (“improper use”), or from Latin abūsus (“misused, using up”), perfect active participle of abūtor (“make improper use of, consume, abuse”), from ab (“away”) + ūtor (“to use”). Equivalent to ab- + use.
From Middle English abusen, from Middle French abuser, from Latin abūsus (“misused, using up”), perfect active participle of abūtor (“to use up, misuse, consume”), from ab (“from, away from”) + ūtor (“to use”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.