misuse
An incorrect, improper or unlawful use of something.
Noun
- An incorrect, improper or unlawful use of something.
- The Queen may be celebrating her jubilee but the Queen's English Society, which has railed against the misuse and deterioration of the English language, is to fold. - 2012 June 4, Lewis Smith, “Queen’s English Society...
Origin
From mis- + use (noun).
Forms
Verb
- To use (something) incorrectly.
- To abuse or mistreat (something or someone).
- To rape (a woman); later more generally, to sexually abuse (someone).
- “If that is true she would be the first case I have ever heard of, as most female captives are misused by the entire tribe.” - 2013, Philipp Meyer, The Son, Simon & Schuster, published 2014, page 326:
Synonyms: abuse outrage violate constuprate defile defoul dishonour force misuse oppress pollute rape ravage ravish r-word scotch turn out viole vitiate grape
- To abuse verbally, to insult.
- Socrates was brought upon the stage by Aristophanes, and misused to his face: but he laughed, as if it concerned him not […]. - 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd...
Origin
From mis- + use (verb).