What are some alternative words for abuse?
Synonyms for abuse
əˈbyuz; əˈbyus
This thesaurus page is about all possible synonyms, equivalent, same meaning and similar words for the term abuse.
Princeton's WordNet
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, maltreatmentabuse, 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, maltreatmentmisuse, abuse(verb)
improper or excessive use
"alcohol abuse"; "the abuse of public funds"
Synonyms:
ill-treatment, contumely, vilification, insult, revilement, ill-usage, misuse, maltreatmentmistreat, 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-treatpervert, 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, mistreatabuse, 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 atabuse(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
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, wrongAntonyms:
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
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, vilifyAntonyms:
tend, protect, conserve, consider, regard, shield, cherish, praise, extol, laud, vindicate, panegyrize, respectabuse(n)
Synonyms:
mistreatment, invective, ill-treatment, opprobrium, scurrility, vituperation, ribaldry, obloquy, reproach, insolence, misusage, ill-usageAntonyms:
good-usage, good-treatment, kindness, praise, deference, respect
Editors Contribution
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
abuse(v. a.)
Synonyms:
misuse, misemploy, misapply, pervert, prostitute, desecrate, profane, make an ill use ofabuse(v. a.)
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 praiseabuse(v. a.)
abuse(n.)
Synonyms:
misapplication, misuse, misemployment, profanation, prostitution, desecration, perversion, ill-useabuse(n.)
Synonyms:
maltreatment, outrage, ill-treatment, bad treatmentabuse(n.)
Synonyms:
corrupt practiceabuse(n.)
Synonyms:
vituperation, railing, reviling, contumely, obloquy, opprobrium, insult, scurrility, ribaldry, JAW, foul invective, rude reproach
Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words
abuse(n)
Synonyms:
misuse, misapplication, perversion, profanation, desecration, injury, maltreatment, mistreatment, outrage, offense, invective, contumely, reproach, scurrility, opprobrium, tirade, billingsgate, vilification, violation, rapeabuse(v)
Synonyms:
misapply, misuse, pervert, desecrate, violate, profane, maltreat, mistreat, revile, reproach, vilify, vituperate, malign, traduce, violate, ravish, rape
PPDB, the paraphrase database
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
Words popularity by usage frequency
How to use abuse in a sentence?
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
Translations for abuse
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- إساءةArabic
- оскърбление, злоупотребявам, изнасилвам, злоупотреба, обида, обиждам, оскърбявамBulgarian
- zneužitíCzech
- misbrug, mishandling, seksuelt misbrug, misbruge, krænke, vanrøgt, mishandleDanish
- Missbrauch, Mißbrauch, missbrauchen, Schmähung, Beleidigung, beleidigen, Mißhandlung, vergewaltigen, Beschimpfung, beschimpfen, MisshandlungGerman
- βρισιές, κακομεταχείριση, κατάχρησηGreek
- abuso, abuso sexualSpanish
- دشنامPersian
- solvata, väärinkäyttää, raiskata, käyttää hyväksi, väärinkäyttö, solvaus, herjaus, väärinkäytös, pahoinpitely, hyväksikäyttö, pahoinpidellä, herjataFinnish
- abus, viol, abuserFrench
- càineadh, trod, cronachadhScottish Gaelic
- abusoGalician
- השתלחות, התעלל, השתלח, ניצול לרעה, התעללות, תקיפה מינית, ניצל לרעהHebrew
- बुरा भला कहना, दुरूपयोग, अपशब्द, गाली देनाHindi
- abuso, abuso sessuale, violenza carnale, violentare, violenza, abusareItalian
- 侮辱, 濫用, ののしる, 性的虐待, 酷使, 虐待Japanese
- ನಿಂದನೆKannada
- 학대Korean
- abūsiō, probrum, obloquor, abūtorLatin
- abuséierenLuxembourgish, Letzeburgesch
- įžeidinėtiLithuanian
- lamātLatvian
- abbużMaltese
- misbrukNorwegian
- verkrachten, beschimpingen, beschimpen, uitschelden, misbruiken, onteren, mishandelen, misbruik, mishandelingDutch
- misbrukNorwegian Nynorsk
- misbruk, utskjelling, voldtekt, mishandle, mishandling, misbruke, skjelle ut, voldtaNorwegian
- atéʼélʼíNavajo, Navaho
- nadużycie, znęcanie się, molestowaniePolish
- ultrajar, afrontar, abusar, enganar, abuso, ofender, insultarPortuguese
- abuzRomanian
- злоупотребление, брань, злоупотреблять, злоупотребить, истязание, нападки, оскорблять, оскорбить, ругать, материть, изнасиловать, оскорбление, ругань, издевательство, издеваться, насилие, обижать, обидеть, обругать, обматерить, насиловатьRussian
- злоупотреба, злостављање, zlostavljanje, злоупотребити, zlostavljati, zloupotreba, zloupotrebiti, злостављатиSerbo-Croatian
- misshandel, missbruka, misshandla, missbrukSwedish
- abuso, panggagahasa, pagmamalupitTagalog
- migeb, nofön, lunofön, migebön, slanön, lenofönVolapük
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Citation
Use the citation below to add these synonyms to your bibliography:
"abuse." Synonyms.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2021. Web. 27 Feb. 2021. <https://www.synonyms.com/synonym/abuse>.