abuse

1. (transitive) To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to use improperly; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervertExamples: "He abused his authority."; "This principle (if we may so abuse the word) shot rapidly into popularity"transitive

2. (transitive) To injure; to maltreat; to hurt; to treat with cruelty, especially repeatedly.Examples: "And I would have things to say to this God at the judgement, storming at him, as Job stormed with the eloquence of the abused heart."Synonyms: maltreat, injure, abuse, annoy, bewound, damage, damnify, deretransitive

3. (transitive) To attack with coarse language; to insult; to revile; malign; to speak in an offensive manner to or about someone; to disparage.Examples: "The […] tellers of news abused the general."; "But ever and always curse him and abuse him."; "So we were angered by this and we could not tolerate this one because prophet Mohammed has been abused so many times in this country. Awolowo abused him sometimes ago saying that he was more successful and popular that Mohammed and Jesus."Synonyms: revile, reproach, vilify, vituperate, abuse, affront, burn, carrytransitive

4. (transitive) To imbibe a drug for a purpose other than it was intended; to intentionally take more of a drug than was prescribed for recreational reasons; to take illegal drugs habitually.transitive

5. (transitive, archaic) To violate; defile; to rape; (reflexive) to masturbate.Examples: "Like Angels life was then mens happy cace; But later ages pride, like corn-fed ſteed, Abuſd her plenty, and fat ſwolne encreace To all licentious luſt, and gan exceed"; "This the Holy Scripture teaches, as expreſly as may be; Neither Fornicators, ſays St. Paul, nor Adulterers, nor the Abominable, ſhall inherit the Kingdom of God; cautioning alſo at the ſame time, that we don’t abuſe our ſelves, nor flatter our ſelves in this Reſpect."; "Through “wantonness,” or just by being “idle and alone,” or by the instruction of intimates, the young learn to abuse themselves without learning how wrong and dangerous it is."archaictransitive

6. (transitive, obsolete) Misrepresent; adulterate.Examples: "Believe me, sir, he hath been abused, grossly abused to you."obsoletetransitive