Abusing
/əˈbjuːzɪŋ/
verbIntermediateCommonGeneral
Idiom
Meaning
Question
Definitions
1
to use something in a way that is bad or wrong
/əˈbjuːz/
verbnegativeIntermediate
General
to use something in a wrong way
The company was abusing the trust of its customers.
💡 Simply: to use something in a bad way
More Examples
2
She was abusing her authority to get what she wanted.
How It's Used
Social
"He was abusing his power to exploit others."
Medical
"The patient was abusing prescription medication."
Idioms & expressions
abuse of power
The improper use of authority or position for personal gain.
"The CEO was accused of abuse of power when he used company funds for personal expenses."
From Old French 'abuser', from Latin 'abutere', to misuse
The word 'abuse' has been used since the 14th century to describe the act of misusing or mistreating something or someone
Memory tip
Abuse is like 'a bus' that takes you in the wrong direction
Practice
Word Origin
Root: ab-
abuseingabuisng
Usage
40%Spoken
60%Written