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

What can you say about the selection of clips, interviews, and archival footage used to tell Bogart’s story in the film?

From Salon

But three years later it emerged that the cables used on the new bridge are more prone to icing problems than the earlier bridge which has only once been closed by ice during its lifetime.

From BBC

Bringing China to the table, even in a voluntary capacity, will be used to show that it is worth engaging in international forums like COP.

From BBC

He took what he learned from that Rams defeat by the Bears and used it to outscheme McVay in Super Bowl LIII.

From Los Angeles Times

He says 40% of all crime in the UK is fraud or cybercrime, but only 1% of the policing budget is used to tackle it and feels that needs to change.

From BBC

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.