abuse
Translation
to abuse, to misuse, to mistreat
Examples
He began to abuse alcohol.
He began to abuse alcohol.
She was verbally abused by her boss.
She was verbally abused by her boss.
Do not abuse the power you have.
Do not abuse the power you have.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to use (sth.) in a harmful way He began to abuse alcohol.
((sb.)) to treat (sb.) cruelly or violently She was verbally abused by her boss.
Similar Words
Synonyms: misuse, mistreat, exploit; Antonyms: respect, praise
Etymology
From Latin 'ab-' (away, wrongly) + 'uti' (to use), meaning 'to use wrongly'.
Memory Tips
Think 'abnormal use'. Note the pronunciation difference: the noun is /əˈbjuːs/ (with an 's' sound), the verb is /əˈbjuːz/ (with a 'z' sound).