used

[ yoozd yoost ]

adjective

1. previously used or owned; secondhand:

   a used car.

2. showing wear or being worn out:

   a thrift store that accepts used clothing.

3. employed for a purpose; utilized:

   a frequently used dictionary.

used

/ juːzd /

adjective

1. bought or sold second-hand

   used cars

Other Words From

• half-used adjective
• well-used adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of used¹

First recorded in 1325–75; use + -ed ²

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. used to, accustomed or habituated to:

   I'm not used to cold weather. They weren't used to getting up so early.

More idioms and phrases containing used

In addition to the idiom beginning with used , also see it takes getting used to . Also see under use .

Example Sentences

That strategy has been used in some cases to help determine GMO policy.

From The Daily Beast

Like many trans users, Transartist often gets used as a source of information more than anything else.

From The Daily Beast

The new information consisted of Internet protocol addresses that Comey said are “exclusively used” by North Korea.

From The Daily Beast

My body used for his hard pleasure; a stone god gripping me in his hands.

From The Daily Beast

Morris struggled to straighten his back, which involved stiffening a spine rarely used.

From The Daily Beast

He alludes to it as one of their evil customs and used by them to produce insensibility.

From Project Gutenberg

Other things being equal, the volume of voice used measures the value that the mind puts upon the thought.

From Project Gutenberg

The badness of the gunpowder used by the Mexicans, was again of great service to us.

From Project Gutenberg

It was afterwards used as a schoolroom in connection with Winfield's factory.

From Project Gutenberg

Knowing by experience that he would soon be up to it, he used his pole with all his might, hoping to steer clear of it.

From Project Gutenberg

When To Use

What is another way to say used?

Something that is used has been employed for a purpose or previously owned. Used is the past participle of the general verb use. Do you know the difference between use and utilize? Find out on Thesaurus.com.