Synonyms for abuse
əˈbyuz; əˈbyusabuse

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.5 / 2 votes

1. abuse

   Abuse covers all unreasonable or improper use or treatment by word or act. A tenant does not abuse rented property by "reasonable wear," though that may damage the property and injure its sale; he may abuse it by needless defacement or neglect. It is possible to abuse a man without harming him, as when the criminal vituperates the judge; or to harm a man without abusing him, as when the witness tells the truth about the criminal. Defame, malign, rail at, revile, slander, vilify, and vituperate are used always in a bad sense. One may be justly reproached. To impose on or to victimize one is to injure him by abusing his confidence. To persecute one is to ill-treat him for opinion's sake, commonly for religious belief; to oppress is generally for political or pecuniary motives. "Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy," Deut. xxiv, 14. Misemploy, misuse, and pervert are commonly applied to objects rather than to persons. A dissolute youth misemploys his time, misuses his money and opportunities, harms his associates, perverts his talents, wrongs his parents, ruins himself, abuses every good gift of God.

   Synonyms:
   aggrieve, damage, defame, defile, disparage, harm, ill-treat, ill-use, impose on, impose upon, injure, malign, maltreat, misemploy, misuse, molest, oppress, persecute, pervert, prostitute, rail at, ravish, reproach, revile, ruin, slander, victimize, vilify, violate, vituperate, wrong

   Antonyms:
   applaud, benefit, care for, cherish, conserve, consider, eulogize, extol, favor, laud, panegyrize, praise, protect, regard, respect, shield, sustain, tend, uphold, vindicate

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. abuseverb

   Synonyms:
   injure, damage, spoil, maltreat, treat-all, ill-use, ill-treat, retile, scandalize, disparage, reproach, upbraid, asperse, malign, slander, vituperate, prostitute, defame, pervert, misuse, misemploy, vilify

   Antonyms:
   tend, protect, conserve, consider, regard, shield, cherish, praise, extol, laud, vindicate, panegyrize, respect

2. abusenoun

   Synonyms:
   mistreatment, invective, ill-treatment, opprobrium, scurrility, vituperation, ribaldry, obloquy, reproach, insolence, misusage, ill-usage

   Antonyms:
   good-usage, good-treatment, kindness, praise, deference, respect

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:4.4 / 10 votes

1. maltreatment, ill-treatment, ill-usage, abusenoun

   cruel or inhumane treatment

   "the child showed signs of physical abuse"

   Synonyms:
   ill-treatment, contumely, vilification, insult, revilement, ill-usage, misuse, maltreatment

2. abuse, insult, revilement, contumely, vilificationnoun

   a rude expression intended to offend or hurt

   "when a student made a stupid mistake he spared them no abuse"; "they yelled insults at the visiting team"

   Synonyms:
   smear, ill-treatment, malignment, contumely, vilification, insult, revilement, ill-usage, misuse, affront, maltreatment

3. misuse, abuseverb

   improper or excessive use

   "alcohol abuse"; "the abuse of public funds"

   Synonyms:
   ill-treatment, contumely, vilification, insult, revilement, ill-usage, misuse, maltreatment

4. mistreat, maltreat, abuse, ill-use, step, ill-treatverb

   treat badly

   "This boss abuses his workers"; "She is always stepping on others to get ahead"

   Synonyms:
   pervert, maltreat, blackguard, step, tread, pace, clapperclaw, misuse, shout, mistreat, ill-use, ill-treat

5. pervert, misuse, abuseverb

   change the inherent purpose or function of something

   "Don't abuse the system"; "The director of the factory misused the funds intended for the health care of his workers"

   Synonyms:
   sophisticate, pervert, shout, vitiate, deprave, debauch, twist, ill-use, blackguard, twist around, subvert, misapply, profane, step, corrupt, debase, misdirect, demoralise, convolute, maltreat, misuse, demoralize, clapperclaw, ill-treat, mistreat

6. abuse, clapperclaw, blackguard, shoutverb

   use foul or abusive language towards

   "The actress abused the policeman who gave her a parking ticket"; "The angry mother shouted at the teacher"

   Synonyms:
   hollo, guy, cry out, pervert, shout, clapperclaw, ill-use, blackguard, roast, make fun, shout out, call out, rib, step, mistreat, holler, yell, call, poke fun, jest at, maltreat, misuse, cry, squall, ridicule, outcry, exclaim, ill-treat, scream, laugh at

7. abuseverb

   use wrongly or improperly or excessively

   "Her husband often abuses alcohol"; "while she was pregnant, she abused drugs"

   Synonyms:
   pervert, maltreat, blackguard, clapperclaw, mistreat, misuse, shout, step, ill-use, ill-treat

Matched Categories

1. • Disrespect
   • Mistreatment
   • Treat
   • Use

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. harm to the innocent and vulnerable

   any direct or indirect abuse to children, adults, animals, elderly or the planet

   nursing home abuse. child sex trafficking, rape, ptsd. gaslighting, narcissists, blocking, slut shaming, etc

   Submitted by Debranardifl on May 25, 2021  

2. oppobrium

   public disgrace arising from shameful conduct

   the opprbrium of being closely associated with gangsters.

   Submitted by rinat on November 1, 2015  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. abuseverb

   Synonyms:
   misuse, misemploy, misapply, pervert, prostitute, desecrate, profane, make an ill use of

2. abuseverb

   Synonyms:
   maltreat, harm, injure, hurt, ill-treat, ill-use

3. abuseverb

   Synonyms:
   revile, reproach, vilify, slander, traduce, defame, asperse, malign, blacken, disparage, berate, rate, upbraid, calumniate, lampoon, satirize, lash, PASQUINADE, VITUPERATE, rail at, sneer at, speak ill of, accuse falsely, damn with faint praise

4. abuseverb

   Synonyms:
   violate, outrage, ravish, deflour

5. abusenoun

   Synonyms:
   misapplication, misuse, misemployment, profanation, prostitution, desecration, perversion, ill-use

6. abusenoun

   Synonyms:
   maltreatment, outrage, ill-treatment, bad treatment

7. abusenoun

   Synonyms:
   corrupt practice

8. abusenoun

   Synonyms:
   vituperation, railing, reviling, contumely, obloquy, opprobrium, insult, scurrility, ribaldry, JAW, foul invective, rude reproach

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. abusenoun

   Synonyms:
   misuse, misapplication, perversion, profanation, desecration, injury, maltreatment, mistreatment, outrage, offense, invective, contumely, reproach, scurrility, opprobrium, tirade, billingsgate, vilification, violation, rape

2. abuseverb

   Synonyms:
   misapply, misuse, pervert, desecrate, violate, profane, maltreat, mistreat, revile, reproach, vilify, vituperate, malign, traduce, violate, ravish, rape

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:2.0 / 4 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "abuse":

   misuse, ill-treatment, abuses, maltreatment, mistreatment, violence, abused, addiction, exploitation, assault, abusive, aggression, consumption, violation, malpractice, breach, brutality, abusers, violations, misused

How to pronounce abuse?

How to say abuse in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use abuse in a sentence?

1. Tasha Schwikert:

   The most damning thing about all of this is abuse was happening to children. We must understand this was the culture that enabled Larry to position himself. I'm outraged that USAG has yet to take responsibility for this child abuser.

2. The President:

   We can't keep this country closed. This is a massive country with a massive economy. People are losing their jobs, they're committing suicide. There's depression, alcohol, drugs at a level that nobody's ever seen before. There's abuse, tremendous abuse. We have to open our country. You know, I've said it often -- the cure can not be worse than the problem itself.

3. Joe Biden:

   Denying Congress the information, which it is constitutionally entitled to, and obstructing its efforts to investigate actions is not the conduct of an American president. It's an abuse of power, president Donald Trump will leave Congress, in my view, no choice but to initiate impeachment. That would be a tragedy, but a tragedy of President Donald Trump own making.

4. Charles Krauthammer:

   This is a way to win a battle with Congress, and they knew that this was not something you’re supposed to do. That’s why there was no paper trail or request, that is, I think, a violation of the power of the executive, fearing with legitimate activities and interactions of the Congress and also of pro-advocates who would and should expect with the private communications on behalf of political advocacy is something that the government ought not listen to, listen in on and abuse and that was done.

5. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP:

   I’m here to get rid of my dad and charge him with conservatorship abuse.