misuse
Americannoun
-
wrong or improper use; misapplication.
- Synonyms:
- misappropriation, misemployment
-
Obsolete. bad or abusive treatment.
verb (used with object)
-
to use wrongly or improperly; misapply.
-
to treat badly or abusively; maltreat.
noun
-
erroneous, improper, or unorthodox use
misuse of words
-
cruel or inhumane treatment
verb
-
to use wrongly
-
to treat badly or harshly
-
to use (something, esp alcohol, drugs, etc) improperly
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
have misusedperfect
-
has misusedperfect 3rd person singular
-
are misusingprogressive
-
is misusingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
have been misusingperfect progressive
-
am misusingprogressive 1st person singular
-
has been misusingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
misusingparticiple
-
misusessingular 3rd person
Past
-
had misusedperfect
-
had been misusingperfect progressive
-
was misusingprogressive singular
-
were misusingprogressive plural
-
misusedparticiple
-
misusedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of misuse
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at mis- 1, use
Explanation
Misuse is using something incorrectly or in a harmful way. I warned you that repeated misuse of your cellphone would break it — I can't believe you were texting in the shower! You can use this word as a noun or a verb, with just a slight change in pronunciation. As a noun, misuse rhymes moose. But when you misuse the money your parents gave you for groceries, spending it all on candy and comic books, misuse rhymes with confuse. A less-common meaning of the verb is "treat someone badly."
Vocabulary lists containing misuse
mis-
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mis-
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: mis-
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Communities also tend to be suspicious of outsiders who suddenly flood in to treat what they say is an emergency but that many locals see as a spectacular misuse of resources.
From Slate • Jun. 9, 2026
The NRA Foundation is rebranding as the 1791 Foundation and splitting from the NRA, which sued it for alleged misuse of $160 million.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
This struck him as a monumental misuse of resources.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
But Gill said she believed the policy was a "a very poor attempt at trying to offer something to hospitality and quite frankly it will lead to loopholes, fraud, misuse and no genuine good".
From BBC • May 29, 2026
A word bravely soldiers on for years, until one day it falls facedown in the trenches, its original meaning a casualty of misuse.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
