# abused

/əbˈjuzd/ (US) · /ɐbjˈuːsd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/abused
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 2. victim of maltreatment

adjective · CEFR B2

describes a person or animal that has been treated cruelly or violently over a long time.

For teachers: having been subjected to physical, emotional, or sexual maltreatment, often within a domestic or institutional context.

- The charity works hard to find new homes for abused dogs and cats.
- The social worker specialised in providing therapeutic support for abused children who had been removed from high-risk domestic environments.

### 3. misused or overused

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

describes something that has been used too much or in the wrong way.

For teachers: subjected to excessive or improper use; often applied to substances, systems, or linguistic terms.

- The word 'genius' is so abused today that it has lost its real meaning.
- The report highlighted how the emergency funding was abused by several departments to cover unrelated administrative deficits.

### 4. deceived

adjective · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

tricked or lied to by someone.

For teachers: pertaining to a state of being deluded or deceived by false appearances or lies.

- The poor man was abused by a false promise of gold.
- In the classic play, the protagonist remains tragically abused by his rival's clever lies until the final act.

Teaching tip: This sense is archaic; modern speakers use 'deceived' or 'misled' instead.

## Examples

- He abused his power to get what he wanted.
- The investigation revealed that several high-ranking officials had systematically abused their positions to secure private contracts.
- While the term is often associated with physical harm, it equally applies to psychological manipulation where one party is consistently abused through verbal degradation and isolation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.