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Synonyms

misuse

American  
[mis-yoos, mis-yooz] / mɪsˈyus, mɪsˈyuz /

noun

  1. wrong or improper use; misapplication.

    Synonyms:
    misappropriation, misemployment

  2. Obsolete. bad or abusive treatment.

verb (used with object)

misused, misusing

  1. to use wrongly or improperly; misapply.

  2. to treat badly or abusively; maltreat.

misuse British  

noun

  1. erroneous, improper, or unorthodox use

    misuse of words

  2. cruel or inhumane treatment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to use wrongly

  2. to treat badly or harshly

  3. to use (something, esp alcohol, drugs, etc) improperly

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of misuse

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; mis- 1, use

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.