Abuse (Verb)
Meaning 1
Use wrongly or improperly or excessively; "Her husband often abuses alcohol"; "while she was pregnant, she abused drugs".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- He abused the power granted to him as a police officer to settle personal vendettas.
- The young girl abused social media and spent hours online every day.
- Gamers often abuse glitches in the game to gain an unfair advantage.
- She abused sleeping pills, hoping to escape her troubles temporarily.
- The government accused the dictator of abusing national resources to fund his own lavish lifestyle.
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Treat badly; "This boss abuses his workers"; "She is always stepping on others to get ahead".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- The company's culture of long working hours and low pay led to employees feeling used and financially abused by their employers.
- Her manager abuses his power by frequently yelling at her in front of her colleagues.
- She does not realize how her constant belittling of others emotionally abuses those around her.
- His history of verbal outbursts in the office makes colleagues feel abused and uncomfortable around him.
- He was fired after multiple reports that he physically and verbally abused some of his team members.
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Meaning 3
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".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- The company's employees were known to abuse their expense accounts by submitting personal purchases as work-related costs.
- The new manager was accused of abusing the company's casual dress policy by wearing ripped jeans and flip-flops to client meetings.
- The city's parking ticket system was being abused by drivers who would contest every fine, hoping to get them dismissed.
- The charity's director was investigated for abusing the organization's funds to finance her own lavish lifestyle.
- Hackers managed to abuse the online retailer's return policy by purchasing items, claiming they were defective, and then selling them online for a profit.
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Meaning 4
Use foul or abusive language towards; "The actress abused the policeman who gave her a parking ticket"; "The angry mother shouted at the teacher".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- The football fans abused the referee for his incorrect decisions throughout the game.
- The angry customer screamed at the customer service representative over the phone.
- She abused her neighbor for parking in her spot again.
- The politician's supporters abused the journalist for asking tough questions.
- He was fired from his job for constantly abusing his coworkers with derogatory comments.