abuse
[noun]
Synonyms:
- ill-treatment, damage, exploitation, harm, hurt, injury, maltreatment, manhandling
- insults, blame, castigation, censure, defamation, derision, disparagement, invective, reproach, scolding, vilification
- misuse, misapplication
[verb]
Synonyms:
- ill-treat, damage, exploit, harm, hurt, injure, maltreat, misuse, take advantage of
- insult, castigate, curse, defame, disparage, malign, scold, vilify

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Antonyms: praise, honor, respect, adulation
Contrasted words: esteem, honor, respect, cherish, prize, treasure, revere, reverence, venerate, acclaim, laudation, praise, applause, commendation, compliment
Related Idioms: make ill use of, do one dirt, do violence to
Related Words: mar, spoil, corrupt, debase, desecrate, profane, damage, harm, hurt, impair, injure, oppress, persecute, wrong, manhandle, mess (up), calumny, defamation, malignment, mud, vilification, cursing, profanity, swearing, berating, railing, rating, reviling

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. a‧buse¹ S2 W3 /əˈbjuːs/ noun

1. [plural, uncountable] cruel or violent treatment of someone:
several cases of child abuse
physical/sexual/racial abuse
Many children suffer racial abuse at school.
An independent committee will look into alleged human rights abuses.

2. [uncountable and countable] the use of something in a way that it should not be used Synonym : misuse
abuse of
government officials’ abuse of power
A self-monitoring tax system is clearly open to abuse (=able to be used wrongly).
alcohol/drug abuse (=the practice of drinking too much or taking illegal drugs) ⇒ solvent abuse

3. [uncountable] rude or offensive things that someone says when they are angry:
vandalism and verbal abuse directed at old people
a torrent/stream of abuse (=a series of rude or angry words)
shout/hurl/scream abuse at somebody
The other driver started hurling abuse at me. ⇒ a term of abuse at term¹(3)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. a‧buse² /əˈbjuːz/ verb [transitive]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: abuser, from Latin abusus, past participle of abuti, from ab- 'away' + uti 'to use']

1. to treat someone in a cruel and violent way, often sexually
sexually/physically abused
She was sexually abused as a child.

2. to deliberately use something for the wrong purpose or for your own advantage:
Williams abused his position as Mayor to give jobs to his friends.
Morris abused the trust the firm had shown in him.
people who abuse the system
abuse alcohol/drugs
The proportion of drinkers who abuse alcohol is actually quite small.

3. to say rude or offensive things to someone Synonym : insult:
Many soldiers in Belfast are verbally abused.
He came to the help of another driver who was being racially abused by three white passengers.

4. to treat something so badly that you start to destroy it:
James abused his body for years with heroin and cocaine.
—abuser noun [countable]

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

abuse
noun
I. wrong/bad use of sth
ADJ. alcohol, drug, solvent, substance (= drugs or solvents)
VERB + ABUSE be open to The legal system is open to abuse.
PHRASES the abuse of power

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

abuse
II. bad, usually violent treatment of sb
ADJ. emotional, physical, sex/sexual | child, elder victims of child abuse
human rights ~s allegations of human rights abuses
alleged, suspected
QUANT. case six cases of suspected child abuse
VERB + ABUSE carry out, subject sb to She was subjected to regular sexual abuse.
suffer, take The child had taken a lot of emotional abuse.
suspect sb of
ABUSE + VERB happen, occur, take place
PHRASES an allegation of abuse, a perpetrator of abuse, a victim of abuse

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

abuse
III. insulting words
ADJ. verbal | personal, racial
QUANT. stream, torrent He was subjected to a torrent of abuse.
VERB + ABUSE hurl, scream, shout, shower sb with, subject sb to, yell | endure They had to endure continual racial abuse.
PHRASES heap abuse on sb/sth Abuse and scorn were heaped on the proposals.
a target for/of abuse The team who lost became a target of abuse for angry fans.
a term of abuse Calling someone stupid is definitely a term of abuse.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

abuse
verb
ADV. emotionally, mentally, physically, sexually, verbally All the children had been physically and emotionally abused.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲