Noun | 1. | ![]() |
2. | abuse - 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" | |
3. | abuse - improper or excessive use Synonyms: misuse | |
Verb | 1. | abuse - treat badly; "This boss abuses his workers"; "She is always stepping on others to get ahead" |
2. | abuse - 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" | |
3. | abuse - use foul or abusive language towards; "The actress abused the policeman who gave her a parking ticket"; "The angry mother shouted at the teacher" |
ABUSE. Every thing which is contrary to good order established by usage. Merl. Rep. h.t. Among the civilians, abuse has another signification; which is the destruction of the substance of a thing in using it. For example, the borrower of wine or grain, abuses the article lent by using it, because he cannot enjoy it without consuming it. Leg ; El. Dr. Rom. Sec. 414. 416.
To dream you are abusing someone, foretells that you will suffer repercussions from friends toward whom you have acted less than honourable. To dream you are being verbally or physically abused, forewarns that you will fall into the hands of an enemy.abuse of office, addiction, afflict, aggrieve, assail, assailing, assault, atrocity, attack, bark at, batter, befoul, befoulment, belittle, berate, berating, betongue, betray, betrayal, bewitch, billingsgate, bitter words, blacken, blackening, blackguard, blaspheme, bleed, bleed white, blight, bruise, buffet, call names, calumniate, calumniation, calumny, catachresis, censure, condemn, contumely, conversion, convert, corrupt, corrupt administration, corruption, criminal assault, crucify, curse, cursing, cuss out, damn, debase, debasement, debauch, debauchment, deceive, decry, defalcate, defalcation, defame, defile, defilement, defloration, deflower, deflowering, dependence, deprave, deprecate, depreciate, derogate, desecrate, despoil, despoilment, destroy, detract from, diatribe, disadvantage, discount, disparage, dispraise, disserve, distress, diversion, divert, do a mischief, do evil, do ill, do violence to, do wrong, do wrong by, do wrong to, doom, drain, embezzle, embezzlement, envenom, epithet, epithetize, execrate, execration, exploit, fault, force, foul, fouling, fulminate against, get into trouble, harass, hard words, hex, ill use, ill-treat, ill-treatment, ill-usage, impair, impose, impose upon, imprecation, infect, injury, jaw, jawing, jeremiad, jinx, knock about, lambaste, lead astray, libel, load with reproaches, make use of, maladminister, maladministration, malediction, malfeasance, malign, maligning, malpractice, maltreat, malversation, manhandle, manipulate, mar, masturbation, maul, menace, mess up, milk, minimize, misapplication, misappropriate, misappropriation, misconduct, misemployment, misfeasance, mishandle, mishandling, mislead, mismanage, mismanagement, mistreatment, misusage, molest, molestation, mud, objurgate, objurgation, obloquy, onslaught, oppress, opprobrium, peculate, peculation, persecute, pervert, philippic, pilfer, pilfering, play havoc with, play hob with, play on, poison, pollute, pollution, poor stewardship, prejudice, presume upon, priapism, profane, profanity, prostitute, prostitution, rag, rail at, railing, rape, rate, rating, ravage, rave against, ravish, ravishment, rebuke, revile, revilement, rough, rough up, ruin, savage, scathe, scolding, screed, scurrility, seduce, seducement, seduction, self-abuse, sexual assault, slander, soil, spoil, stroke, suck dry, sully, swear, swear at, swearing, taint, take advantage of, threaten, thunder against, tirade, tongue-lash, tongue-lashing, torment, torture, traduce, upbraid, use, use ill, vilification, vilify, violate, violation, violence, vituperate, vituperation, work on, work upon, wound, wreak havoc on, write off, wrong, yell at, yelp at