1. Treat badly
   "This boss abuses his workers";
   - mistreat, maltreat, ill-use, ill-treat, step on [informal]
    
2. Use wrongly, improperly or excessively
   "Her husband often abuses alcohol"; "while she was pregnant, she abused drugs"
    
3. Use to one's advantage in a way that was not intended
   "Don't abuse the system";
   - pervert, misuse
    
4. Use foul or abusive language towards
   "The actress abused the policeman who gave her a parking ticket";
   - clapperclaw [archaic], blackguard, shout
    
5. Subject to sexual assault
   "she was abused by her uncle";
   - sexually assault

1. Cruel or inhumane treatment
   "the child showed signs of physical abuse";
   - maltreatment, ill-treatment, ill-usage
    
2. Improper or excessive use
   "the abuse of public funds"; "alcohol abuse";
   - misuse
    
3. A rude expression intended to offend or hurt
   "when a student made a stupid mistake he spared them no abuse";
   - insult, revilement, contumely [archaic], vilification
    
4. (law) a statutory offence that provides that it is a crime to knowingly cause another person to engage in an unwanted sexual act by force or threat
   "most states have replaced the common law definition of rape with statutes defining sexual abuse";
   - sexual assault, sexual abuse, sex crime, sex offense [US], sex offence [Brit, Cdn]

Derived forms: abused, abuses, abusing

Type of: assail, assault, attack, consume, deplete, discourtesy, disrespect, do by [Brit], eat, eat up, employment, exercise, exhaust, expend, handle, lash out, mistreatment, regulatory offence [Brit, Cdn], regulatory offense [US], round, run through, statutory offence [Brit, Cdn], statutory offense [US], treat, usage, use, use up, utilisation [Brit], utilization, wipe out

Encyclopedia: Abuse, substance