Need another word that means the same as “misuse”? Find 33 synonyms and 30 related words for “misuse” in this overview.
The synonyms of “Misuse” are: misapply, abuse, pervert, put to wrong use, misemploy, embezzle, use fraudulently, ill-treat, maltreat, mistreat, ill-use, treat badly, handle roughly, treat roughly, knock about, knock around, hit, beat, strike, mishandle, manhandle, maul, molest, injure, harm, hurt, bully, persecute, wrong use, embezzlement, fraud, misapplication
According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “misuse” as a noun can have the following definitions:
| abuse | A rude expression intended to offend or hurt. Human rights abuses. |
| embezzlement | Theft or misappropriation of funds placed in one’s trust or belonging to one’s employer. Charges of fraud and embezzlement. |
| fraud | Something intended to deceive; deliberate trickery intended to gain an advantage. He was convicted of fraud. |
| misapplication | The fraudulent appropriation of funds or property entrusted to your care but actually owned by someone else. |
| wrong use | That which is contrary to the principles of justice or law. |
According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “misuse” as a verb can have the following definitions:
| abuse | Change the inherent purpose or function of something. The actress abused the policeman who gave her a parking ticket. |
| beat | Give a beating to subject to a beating either as a punishment or as an act of aggression. Agassi beat Becker in the tennis championship. |
| bully | Seek to harm, intimidate, or coerce (someone perceived as vulnerable. Her 11- year-old son has been constantly bullied at school. |
| embezzle | Appropriate (as property entrusted to one’s care) fraudulently to one’s own use. She had embezzled 5 600 000 in company funds. |
| handle roughly | Touch, lift, or hold with the hands. |
| harm | Cause or do harm to. The villains didn t harm him. |
| hit | Hit against come into sudden contact with. A car hit the barrier. |
| hurt | Hurt the feelings of. Were you hurting after the accident. |
| ill-treat | Treat badly. |
| ill-use | Treat badly. |
| injure | Harm or impair (something. The explosion injured several people. |
| knock about | Find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws. |
| knock around | Sound like a car engine that is firing too early. |
| maltreat | Treat (a person or animal) cruelly or with violence. Children die from neglect or are maltreated by their carers. |
| manhandle | Move (a heavy object) by hand with great effort. Men used to manhandle the piano down the stairs. |
| maul | Split wood with a maul and wedges. A man was mauled by a lion at London Zoo. |
| misapply | Use (something) for the wrong purpose or in the wrong way. You are misapplying the name of this religious group. |
| misemploy | Employ or use (something) wrongly or improperly. You misemploy the term celibate. |
| mishandle | Manipulate roughly or carelessly. The equipment could be dangerous if mishandled. |
| mistreat | Treat badly. A dog which has been mistreated will remain very wary of strangers. |
| persecute | Cause to suffer. Hilda was persecuted by some of the other girls. |
| pervert | Lead (someone) away from what is considered natural or acceptable. Hector is a man who is simply perverted by his time. |
| put to wrong use | Estimate. |
| strike | Undertake strike action against an employer. Strike a balance. |
| treat badly | Provide with choice or abundant food or drink. |
| treat roughly | Subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition. |
| use fraudulently | Habitually do something (use only in the past tense. |
| abuse | Treat with cruelty or violence, especially regularly or repeatedly. A black eye and other signs of physical abuse. |
| addictive | (of a substance or activity) causing or likely to cause someone to become addicted. A highly addictive drug. |
| affront | A deliberately offensive act or something producing the effect of deliberate disrespect. He took his son s desertion as a personal affront. |
| alcohol | Drink containing alcohol. Polyvinyl alcohol. |
| arbitrarily | On the basis of random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system. Everyone has the right not to be arbitrarily detained. |
| blob | An indeterminate roundish mass or shape. He made a string of blobs then hit a hundred. |
| contents | A list of divisions (chapters or articles) and the pages on which they start. He emptied the contents of his pockets. |
| deliberately | In a deliberate unhurried manner. The fire was started deliberately. |
| expletive | A word or phrase conveying no independent meaning but added to fill out a sentence or metrical line. He was greeted by a stream of expletives. |
| gelatinous | Of or like the protein gelatin. A sweet gelatinous drink. |
| gist | The substance or general meaning of a speech or text. It was hard to get the gist of Pedro s talk. |
| inappropriate | Not suitable for a particular occasion etc. It would be inappropriate for me to comment. |
| intoxicant | Causing. Intoxicants and drugs are used by some to escape physical or psychological pain. |
| intoxicate | Have an intoxicating effect on, of a drug. Except for NYC and LA no American city has so intoxicated and infuriated writers. |
| intoxication | Excitement and elation beyond the bounds of sobriety. The intoxication of wealth and power. |
| malapropism | The unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar. |
| maltreat | Treat badly. Children die from neglect or are maltreated by their carers. |
| matter | (of a wound) secrete or discharge pus. Organic matter. |
| means | Resources; capability. Resolving disputes by peaceful means. |
| misdirect | Direct to the wrong place or in the wrong direction. Voters were misdirected to the wrong polling station. |
| misguide | Give bad advice to. A long survey that can only baffle and misguide the general reader. |
| mislead | Give false or misleading information to. The government misled the public about the road's environmental impact. |
| mistreat | Treat (a person or animal) badly, cruelly, or unfairly. A dog which has been mistreated will remain very wary of strangers. |
| overuse | Excessive use. Overuse of natural resources. |
| perfunctorily | In a set manner without serious attention. He kissed her cheek perfunctorily. |
| pervert | Corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality. He was charged with conspiring to pervert the course of justice. |
| quintessential | Representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class. He was the quintessential tough guy strong silent and self contained. |
| randomly | In a way that involves equal chances for each item. The houses were randomly scattered. |
| substance | The most important or essential part of something; the real or essential meaning. Substance abuse. |
| thing | An example or type of something. The sea is the primal source of all living things on earth. |
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