1 noun
(a) using something wrongly
alcohol abuse or amphetamine abuse or drug abuse or solvent abuse = being mentally and physically dependent on regularly taking alcohol or amphetamines or drugs or inhaling solvents
(b) bad treatment of a person; child abuse or sexual abuse of children
(NOTE: no plural)
2 verb
(a) to use something wrongly; heroin and cocaine are commonly abused drugs
to abuse one's authority = to use one's powers in an illegal or harmful way
(b) to treat someone badly; he had sexually abused small children