Definition of: abuse

(ə·byz′) v.t. a·bused, a·bus·ing
1. use improperly or injuriously; misuse.
2. To hurt by treating wrongly; injure: to abuse friendship.
3. To speak in coarse or bad terms of; revile; malign.
4. Obs. To deceive.
—noun (ə·bys′)
1. Improper or injurious use; perversion; misuse.
2. Ill-treatment; cruel treatment; injury.
3. Vicious conduct, practice, or act.
4. Vituperation; slander. See synonyms under ABOMINATION, OUTRAGE. [<F abuser <L abusus, pp. of abuti misuse < ab-away + uti use]
— a·bus′er noun Synonyms (verb): damage, defame, defile, harm, ill-treat, ill-use, injure, malign, mal-treat, misemploy, misuse, molest, oppress, persecute, pervert, pollute, prostitute, ravish, reproach, revile, ruin, slander, victimize, vilify, violate, vituperate, wrong. Abuse covers all unreasonable or improper use or treatment by word or act. A tenant does not abuse rented property by reasonable wear, even if that may damage the property and injure its sale; he may abuse it by needless defacement or neglect. Defame, malign, revile, slander, vilify, and vituperate are used always in a bad sense. One may be justly reproached. 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. Misemploy, misuse, and pervert are commonly applied to objects rather than to persons. Compare POLLUTE. Antonyms: applaud, benefit, cherish, conserve, consider, eulogize, extol, favor, laud, panegyrize, praise, protect, respect, shield, sustain, uphold, vindicate.