abuse
249
4.1
- noun
- /əˈbjus/
- Understanding who is at risk for prescription drug abuse is important for several reasons.
- substance abuse
- drug abuse
- treatment for abuse
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Watch on YouTubeA tilting planet heaving with our abuse and overuse.
- A tilting planet heaving with our abuse and overuse.
- And we have a number of other abuses in the system.
- And that's just, that's just the worst abuse of power I've ever seen him.
- This is abuse of of this is abuse of crowdfunding.
- Opiate painkillers abuse went through the roof during COVID.
Examples
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Many people are speaking out against the abuse of authority by leaders in the workplace.
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Come on, man, she has a history of drug abuse.
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As a community, we have to take a stand against abuse and protect victims.
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And there was a lot of drug abuse.
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Dealing with child protection issues and abuse will make you feel awful.
Academic text (2011) -
Poverty is still widespread, and with poverty always comes crime, chemical abuse, and violence.
Academic text (2011) -
I hear you're setting up an abuse center on campus.
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Thus, alcohol accounts for more incarcerations, as well as more substance abuse, than all the illicit drugs combined.
Academic text (2011) -
The organization aims to raise awareness about the abuse of children in neglected communities.
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Reports indicate a significant increase in the abuse of substances among teenagers in recent years.
Synonyms
40
3.4
Doing something wrong with money, objects, or power
15
3.8
Using something too often so it becomes harmful or less effective
2
7.5
Using something in a wrong or unsuitable way
1
7.5
Using something too much makes it less useful
1
7.5
Wrong use of words, rules, or tools
An act of using something too much so it causes harm
Antonyms
1
5.1
Careful and reliable way of acting that shows a person can be trusted with duties
Compounds
- Offensive
122
3.7
Harming children physically, emotionally or sexually, often by an adult who looks after them
- NSFW
55
2.8
Using illegal or harmful drugs too often so they harm a person's health and life
- Specialized
2
4.9
Harmful heavy drinking that often causes addiction and health problems
- NSFW
1
5.8
A drug taken for pleasure that changes how you think and can cause addiction or harm
How Misused
Surface Forms
Etymology
Abuse comes from Latin parts ab- ('away') and uti ('to use'), carrying the sense of 'use wrongly' or 'use up'. So the idea of abuse here is to use something too much or in the wrong way, which causes harm.