noun , verb
■ noun / əˈbjuːs; NAmE /
1.
[ U , sing. ] abuse (of sth) the use of sth in a way that is wrong or harmful
SYN misuse :
alcohol / drug / solvent abuse
He was arrested on charges of corruption and abuse of power .
The system of paying cash bonuses is open to abuse (= might be used in the wrong way) .
What she did was an abuse of her position as manager.
2.
[ U , pl. ] unfair, cruel or violent treatment of sb :
child abuse
sexual abuse
reported abuses by the secret police
She suffered years of physical abuse.
3.
[ U ] rude and offensive remarks, usually made when sb is very angry :
to scream / hurl / shout abuse
a stream / torrent of abuse
SYN insults
■ verb / əˈbjuːz/ [ vn ]
1.
to make bad use of sth, or to use so much of sth that it harms your health :
to abuse alcohol / drugs
He systematically abused his body with heroin and cocaine.
2.
to use power or knowledge unfairly or wrongly :
She abused her position as principal by giving jobs to her friends.
He felt they had abused his trust by talking about him to the press (= tricked him, although he had trusted them) .
3.
to treat a person or an animal in a cruel or violent way, especially sexually :
All the children had been physically and emotionally abused.
He had abused his own daughter (= had sex with her) .
The boy had been sexually abused.
4.
to make rude or offensive remarks to or about sb
SYN insult :
The referee had been threatened and abused.
► ab·user noun :
a drug abuser
a child abuser
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : via Old French from Latin abus- misused, from the verb abuti , from ab- away (i.e. wrongly) + uti to use.