- (v.t.) 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.
- (v.t.) 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.
- (v.t.) To revile; to reproach coarsely; to disparage.
- (v.t.) To dishonor.
- (v.t.) To violate; to ravish.
- (v.t.) To deceive; to impose on.
- (v.t.) 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.
- (v.t.) Physical ill treatment; injury.
- (v.t.) A corrupt practice or custom; offense; crime; fault; as, the abuses in the civil service.
- (v.t.) Vituperative words; coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; virulent condemnation; reviling.
- (v.t.) Violation; rape; as, abuse of a female child.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). abuse. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/abuse/definitions/1969991 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "abuse" http://smartdefine.org/abuse/definitions/1969991 (accessed September 22, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, abuse, Smart Define, viewed 22 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/abuse/definitions/1969991>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "abuse" 27 May 2011. Web. 22 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/abuse/definitions/1969991> |