Sekirov Dictionary

abuse

/əˈbjuːs/

noun 7
/əˈbjuːz/ verb 8
forms 7
phrases 1

noun7

cruel, violent treatment that hurts a person or an animal
•
Improper treatment or usage; application to a wrong or bad purpose; an unjust, corrupt or wrongful practice or custom.
- human rights abuses
- All abuse, whether physical, verbal, psychological or sexual, is bad.
•
Misuse; improper use; perversion.
- Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty, as well as by the abuses of power. — 1788
Violation; defilement; rape; forcing of undesired sexual activity by one person on another, often on a repeated basis.
•
Coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; language that unjustly or angrily vilifies.
- The two parties, after exchanging a good deal of abuse, came to blows. — 1861
(no longer used) Catachresis.
•
(no longer used) A delusion; an imposture; misrepresentation; deception.
- Or is it some abuse, and no such thing? — 1601

abuse

/əˈbjuːz/

verb8

•
To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to use improperly; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert
- He abused his authority.
•
To injure; to maltreat; to hurt; to treat with cruelty, especially repeatedly.
- And I would have things to say to this God at the judgement, storming at him, as Job stormed with the eloquence of the abused heart. — 1990
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.
•
To attack with coarse language; to insult; to revile; malign; to speak in an offensive manner to or about someone; to disparage.
- The […] tellers of news abused the general. — 1849
•
(no longer used) To violate; defile; to rape; (reflexive) to masturbate.
- Like Angels life was then mens happy cace; But later ages pride, like corn-fed steed, Abusd her plenty, and fat swolne encreace To all licentious lust, and gan exceed — 1590
(no longer used) To deceive; to trick; to impose on; misuse the confidence of.
•
(no longer used) Misrepresent; adulterate.
- Believe me, sir, he hath been abused, grossly abused to you. — 1749
(Scotland, no longer used) Disuse.

forms

abus'd · abused · abusedst · abusing · abuses · abuseth · abusest

Phrases with abuse

abuse of distress
a wrongful using of an animal or chattel distrained, by the distrainer

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