Meaning

7 senses

  1. (countable, uncountable)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.

    Missbrauch, Missbrauch

    злоупотребле́ниеzloupotreblénije, злоупотребле́ниеzloupotreblénije

    зловжива́нняzlovžyvánnja, зловжива́нняzlovžyvánnja

  2. (countable, uncountable)Misuse; improper use; perversion.

    improper or excessive use

  3. (countable, uncountable)Coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; language that unjustly or angrily vilifies.

    children hurling abuse at each other

    Beschimpfung, Schmähung, Beleidigung

    оскорбле́ниеoskorblénije, браньbranʹ, ру́ганьrúganʹ

    обра́заobráza, ла́йкаlájka

  4. (countable, uncountable)Physical maltreatment; injury; cruel treatment.

    Misshandlung

    издева́тельствоizdevátelʹstvo, истяза́ниеistjazánije, жесто́кое обраще́ниеžestókoje obraščénije

    нару́гаnarúha, знуща́нняznuščánnja, жорсто́ке пово́дженняžorstóke povódžennja

    cruel or inhumane treatment

  5. (countable, uncountable)Violation; defilement; rape; forcing of undesired sexual activity by one person on another, often on a repeated basis.

    Missbrauch

    наси́лиеnasílije

  6. (countable, obsolete, uncountable)A delusion; an imposture; misrepresentation; deception.

  7. (archaic, countable, uncountable)Catachresis.

Examples

405 sentences

  1. Tom abuses his authority, so no one likes him.

    Том зловживає владою, тому його ніхто не любить. — deniko

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  2. He abuses his authority.

    Він зловживає своїм авторитетом. — deniko

    ruОн злоупотребляет своим авторитетом. — Balamax

    deEr missbraucht seine Autorität. — quicksanddiver

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  3. Tom abused my trust.

    Том зловжив моєю довірою. — deniko

    ruТом злоупотреблял моим доверием. — marafon

    deTom missbrauchte mein Vertrauen. — Manfredo

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  4. Tom abused our trust.

    Том зловжив нашою довірою. — deniko

    ruТом злоупотребил нашим доверием. — marafon

    deTom hat unser Vertrauen missbraucht. — Dani6187

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  5. Tom abuses his authority.

    Том зловживає владою. — deniko

    deTom missbraucht seine Autorität. — wolfgangth

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · B2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Translations

9 languages
Українська
By meaning 3
corrupt practice:
insulting speech:
physical maltreatment:
Русский
By meaning 4
corrupt practice:
insulting speech:
physical maltreatment:
sexual violation or assault:
Deutsch
By meaning 3
corrupt practice:
insulting speech:
physical maltreatment:

Origin

From Middle English abusen, then from either Old French abus (“improper use”), or from Lat

From Middle English abusen, then from either Old French abus (“improper use”), or from Latin abūsus (“misused, using up”), perfect active participle of abūtor (“make improper use of, consume, abuse”), from ab (“away”) + ūtor (“to use”). Equivalent to ab- + use.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

plural: abuses
Singularabuse
Pluralabuses

regular

Synonyms

14 synonyms
reproachC2insultB2abusageinvectivecontumelyscurrilityopprobriumabusio
Close in meaning

Word family

22 related words
Derivedabusefulabusefullyabuselessabusementabuse-riddenadmin abusealcohol abuseantiabusechild abusedrug abuseelder abuseoverabusepolyabuseracket abusere-abuseritual abuseself-abusesex abusesexual abusesolvent abusesubstance abusetech abuse

Lessons for this word

1 lessons

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
absurdlyabundanceB1abundantB1abundantlyC2abuserabusiveabutabuzz
abuse — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto