missbrauchen
Translation
to abuse, to misuse, to molest
Examples
Er hat ihr Vertrauen missbraucht.
He abused her trust.
Sie missbrauchte ihre Machtposition.
She misused her position of power.
Es ist falsch, Drogen zu missbrauchen.
It is wrong to abuse drugs.
Grammar Patterns
((sb./sth.)) missbrauchen to abuse (sb./sth.) She misused her position of power.
Similar Words
Synonyms: ausnutzen (to exploit), schänden (to violate); Antonyms: achten (to respect), ehren (to honor)
Etymology
From the prefix 'miss-' (wrong, bad) and 'brauchen' (to use). Literally 'to use wrongly'.
Memory Tips
Think of 'mis-use'. The prefix 'miss-' often indicates something negative or wrong, similar to English.