abuse

abuse is a 5-letter English word with 18 senses as transitive verb, noun, and verb in the JumbleFix dictionary. One common meaning is: To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to misuse; to put to a bad use; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert; as, to abuse inherited gold; to make an excessive use of; as, to abuse one's authority. Face value is 7 in Scrabble and 9 in Words With Friends. Use the entries below when you need a playable sense, a nearby word, or another arrangement of the same letters.

5 letters · Scrabble 7 · Words With Friends 9 · 18 senses

Definitions

1. transitive verb. To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to misuse; to put to a bad use; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert; as, to abuse inherited gold; to make an excessive use of; as, to abuse one's authority.
2. transitive verb. To use ill; to maltreat; to act injuriously to; to punish or to tax excessively; to hurt; as, to abuse prisoners, to abuse one's powers, one's patience.
3. transitive verb. To revile; to reproach coarsely; to disparage.
4. transitive verb. To dishonor.
5. transitive verb. To violate; to ravish.
6. transitive verb. To deceive; to impose on.
7. transitive verb. Improper treatment or use; application to a wrong or bad purpose; misuse; as, an abuse of our natural powers; an abuse of civil rights, or of privileges or advantages; an abuse of language.
8. transitive verb. Physical ill treatment; injury.
9. transitive verb. A corrupt practice or custom; offense; crime; fault; as, the abuses in the civil service.
10. transitive verb. Vituperative words; coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; virulent condemnation; reviling.
11. transitive verb. Violation; rape; as, abuse of a female child.
12. noun. cruel or inhumane treatment

    "the child showed signs of physical abuse"

    Synonyms: maltreatment

13. noun. improper or excessive use

    "alcohol abuse"

    "the abuse of public funds"

    Synonyms: misuse

14. noun. 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: contumely, insult, revilement, vilification

15. verb. 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: misuse, pervert

16. verb. use wrongly or improperly or excessively

    "Her husband often abuses alcohol"

    "while she was pregnant, she abused drugs"

17. verb. 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: blackguard, clapperclaw, shout

18. verb. treat badly

    "This boss abuses his workers"

    "She is always stepping on others to get ahead"

    Synonyms: maltreat, mistreat, step

Synonyms

maltreatment, misuse, contumely, insult, revilement, vilification, pervert, blackguard, clapperclaw, shout, maltreat, mistreat, step

Anagrams

Other playable words that use exactly the letters in abuse:

beaus

Common word forms

abused, abuser, abuses, abusing, abuseful

Words from these letters

If you are holding these tiles, the unscrambler for ABUSE lists every valid word you can make from the same letters, including shorter plays.