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Glite Dictionary
to ill-use

to ill-use

8.6
To treat people or animals badly and unfairly
  • verb
  • /ˈɪlˌjuːz/
  • NSFW
translation icon : maltratar
  • Many workers are forced to endure ill-use by their employers, which is both unfair and inhumane.

Examples

  • It is never acceptable to ill-use an animal; they deserve kindness and care.

  • This land has survived possession and ill-use by five countries: Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the U.S., the Confederacy, and the U.S. again.

    Academic text (1995)

  • A good leader would never ill-use their team; instead, they should support and empower them.

Synonyms

to abuse
vsto ill-use
  • NSFW
344 3.7

To treat a person or animal cruelly to harm them

is similar but stresses general harshness rather than specific forceful acts
to mistreat
vsto ill-use
63 2.9

To be cruel to people or animals

adds a stronger sense of harshness and unfairness rather than just badness
to step on
vsto ill-use
  • Informal
23 6.7

To treat someone badly to gain power or get ahead

focuses more generally on harsh or unfair treatment without power motive
to maltreat
vsto ill-use
  • NSFW
3 7.4

To be cruel to a person or animal

is the same cruelty but in more general everyday wording
to ill-treat
vsto ill-use
  • NSFW
5.2

Behave towards a person or animal in a cruel, unfair way

is identical in meaning but differs only in wording form

Antonyms

to care for
347 1.0

Look after a sick or injured person and give them needed help

to do well by
1 5.0

Treat someone with respect and kindness

How Abusive

to torture
  • Offensive
582 5.7
to brutalize
  • Offensive
34 7.7
to abuse
  • NSFW
344 3.7
to ill-use
  • NSFW
8.6
neglect
100 3.5

Surface Forms

ill-use infinitive
ill-used past
ill-used past participle
ill-using present participle
ill-uses third person singular

Morphology

ill-use = use (transparent) = ill + use

The meaning is directly derived from the adverb 'ill' (badly) + the verb 'use' => 'use badly' meaning 'mistreat', which is straightforward for learners.

Etymology

The word ill-use comes from the parts ill- meaning 'bad' and use meaning 'to make use of'. So to ill-use someone is to 'use' them in a 'bad' way, like the similar word misuse, and that is why it means to treat someone harshly or cruelly.