Synonyms for abuse
əˈbyuz; əˈbyus

Princeton's WordNet(4.40 / 10 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. maltreatment, ill-treatment, ill-usage, abuse(noun)

   cruel or inhumane treatment

   "the child showed signs of physical abuse"

   Synonyms:
   ill-treatment, contumely, vilification, insult, revilement, ill-usage, misuse, maltreatment

2. abuse, insult, revilement, contumely, vilification(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:
   smear, ill-treatment, malignment, contumely, vilification, insult, revilement, ill-usage, misuse, affront, maltreatment

3. misuse, abuse(verb)

   improper or excessive use

   "alcohol abuse"; "the abuse of public funds"

   Synonyms:
   ill-treatment, contumely, vilification, insult, revilement, ill-usage, misuse, maltreatment

4. mistreat, maltreat, abuse, ill-use, step, ill-treat(verb)

   treat badly

   "This boss abuses his workers"; "She is always stepping on others to get ahead"

   Synonyms:
   pervert, maltreat, blackguard, step, tread, pace, clapperclaw, misuse, shout, mistreat, ill-use, ill-treat

5. pervert, misuse, abuse(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:
   sophisticate, pervert, shout, vitiate, deprave, debauch, twist, ill-use, blackguard, twist around, subvert, misapply, profane, step, corrupt, debase, misdirect, demoralise, convolute, maltreat, misuse, demoralize, clapperclaw, ill-treat, mistreat

6. abuse, clapperclaw, blackguard, shout(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:
   hollo, guy, cry out, pervert, shout, clapperclaw, ill-use, blackguard, roast, make fun, shout out, call out, rib, step, mistreat, holler, yell, call, poke fun, jest at, maltreat, misuse, cry, squall, ridicule, outcry, exclaim, ill-treat, scream, laugh at

7. abuse(verb)

   use wrongly or improperly or excessively

   "Her husband often abuses alcohol"; "while she was pregnant, she abused drugs"

   Synonyms:
   pervert, maltreat, blackguard, clapperclaw, mistreat, misuse, shout, step, ill-use, ill-treat

English Synonyms and Antonyms(3.50 / 2 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. abuse

   Abuse covers all unreasonable or improper use or treatment by word or act. A tenant does not abuse rented property by "reasonable wear," though that may damage the property and injure its sale; he may abuse it by needless defacement or neglect. It is possible to abuse a man without harming him, as when the criminal vituperates the judge; or to harm a man without abusing him, as when the witness tells the truth about the criminal. Defame, malign, rail at, revile, slander, vilify, and vituperate are used always in a bad sense. One may be justly reproached. To impose on or to victimize one is to injure him by abusing his confidence. To persecute one is to ill-treat him for opinion's sake, commonly for religious belief; to oppress is generally for political or pecuniary motives. "Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy," Deut. xxiv, 14. Misemploy, misuse, and pervert are commonly applied to objects rather than to persons. A dissolute youth misemploys his time, misuses his money and opportunities, harms his associates, perverts his talents, wrongs his parents, ruins himself, abuses every good gift of God.

   Synonyms:
   aggrieve, damage, defame, defile, disparage, harm, ill-treat, ill-use, impose on, impose upon, injure, malign, maltreat, misemploy, misuse, molest, oppress, persecute, pervert, prostitute, rail at, ravish, reproach, revile, ruin, slander, victimize, vilify, violate, vituperate, wrong

   Antonyms:
   applaud, benefit, care for, cherish, conserve, consider, eulogize, extol, favor, laud, panegyrize, praise, protect, regard, respect, shield, sustain, tend, uphold, vindicate

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. abuse(v)

   Synonyms:
   injure, damage, spoil, maltreat, treat-all, ill-use, ill-treat, retile, scandalize, disparage, reproach, upbraid, asperse, malign, slander, vituperate, prostitute, defame, pervert, misuse, misemploy, vilify

   Antonyms:
   tend, protect, conserve, consider, regard, shield, cherish, praise, extol, laud, vindicate, panegyrize, respect

2. abuse(n)

   Synonyms:
   mistreatment, invective, ill-treatment, opprobrium, scurrility, vituperation, ribaldry, obloquy, reproach, insolence, misusage, ill-usage

   Antonyms:
   good-usage, good-treatment, kindness, praise, deference, respect

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. oppobrium

   public disgrace arising from shameful conduct

   the opprbrium of being closely associated with gangsters.

   Submitted by rinat on November 1, 2015  

Dictionary of English Synonymes(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. abuse(v. a.)

   Synonyms:
   misuse, misemploy, misapply, pervert, prostitute, desecrate, profane, make an ill use of

2. abuse(v. a.)

   Synonyms:
   maltreat, harm, injure, hurt, ill-treat, ill-use

3. abuse(v. a.)

   Synonyms:
   revile, reproach, vilify, slander, traduce, defame, asperse, malign, blacken, disparage, berate, rate, upbraid, calumniate, lampoon, satirize, lash, PASQUINADE, VITUPERATE, rail at, sneer at, speak ill of, accuse falsely, damn with faint praise

4. abuse(v. a.)

   Synonyms:
   violate, outrage, ravish, deflour

5. abuse(n.)

   Synonyms:
   misapplication, misuse, misemployment, profanation, prostitution, desecration, perversion, ill-use

6. abuse(n.)

   Synonyms:
   maltreatment, outrage, ill-treatment, bad treatment

7. abuse(n.)

   Synonyms:
   corrupt practice

8. abuse(n.)

   Synonyms:
   vituperation, railing, reviling, contumely, obloquy, opprobrium, insult, scurrility, ribaldry, JAW, foul invective, rude reproach

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate these synonyms:

1. abuse(n)

   Synonyms:
   misuse, misapplication, perversion, profanation, desecration, injury, maltreatment, mistreatment, outrage, offense, invective, contumely, reproach, scurrility, opprobrium, tirade, billingsgate, vilification, violation, rape

2. abuse(v)

   Synonyms:
   misapply, misuse, pervert, desecrate, violate, profane, maltreat, mistreat, revile, reproach, vilify, vituperate, malign, traduce, violate, ravish, rape

PPDB, the paraphrase database(2.00 / 4 votes)Rate these paraphrases:

1. List of paraphrases for "abuse":

   misuse, ill-treatment, abuses, maltreatment, mistreatment, violence, abused, addiction, exploitation, assault, abusive, aggression, consumption, violation, malpractice, breach, brutality, abusers, violations, misused

How to pronounce abuse?

Alex

US English

Daniel

British

Karen

Australian

Veena

Indian

How to say abuse in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use abuse in a sentence?

1. Amanda Renteria:

   I think elected officials need to be held to higher standard, and no matter who it is or where it is, we need to make sure we elect people who do not abuse their power in any way.

2. An OSU spokesperson:

   Ohio State has led the effort to investigate and expose Richard Strauss ' abuse and the university's failure at the time to adequately respond to or prevent Richard Strauss ' abuse. We express our deep regret and apologies to all who experienced Strauss' abuse and remain actively committed to a fair resolution, including a monetary resolution.

3. Nicholas Alahverdian:

   If Gina Raimondo cared about kids in DCYF care, she would have acknowledged Rhode Island was wrong in sending me hundreds of miles from home where I was tortured in facilities that were later closed by their own states for abuse and neglect for my political activism as a lobbyist following my employment with the House of Representatives while in DCYF care. #AnyoneButGina

4. Caroline Lorson:

   I hope that they heard that message loud and clear and that they're going to take swift action so that our states and our nation does not continue to overlook the institutional abuse of children.

5. Attorney John Manly:

   The resignation of Dr. Nikias is the first step in a long process of healing for the victims of Dr. Tyndall. It occurred because students, faculty and alumni pressured Board of Trustees to do the right thing, it is our hope that theirpressure will continue until the University reforms the culture which has enabled sexual abuse and holds all of the enablers accountable so this will never happen again.

Images & Illustrations of abuse