Synonyms for misuse
- verb
- noun
Most common
All synonyms
Verb
1. Abuse — to rape (a woman); later more generally, to sexually abuse (someone)
misappropriate, ill-use, harm, profane, violate, mistreat, hurt, r-word, slur, ill-treat, pollute, desecrate, prostitute, maul, mishandle, maltreat, misemploy, debase, injure, debauch, abuse dated, vitiate dated
Noun
Definitions
- v. 1
To rape (a woman); later more generally, to sexually abuse (someone).
- n. 1
An incorrect, improper or unlawful use of something.
Choose the right word
Misemploy, misuse, and pervert are commonly applied to objects rather than to persons.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- harm This kind of magazine can do harm to young people.
- violate These factories violate multiple health regulations.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| misuse | steady | |
| harm | rising | |
| violate | steady | |
| misappropriate | rising | |
| misapply | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- hurt1, harm1, slur1, maul1
- 5 letters
- abuse2
- 6 letters
- injure2, debase2
- 7 letters
- violate3, pervert2, profane2, pollute2, vitiate3, debauch
- 8 letters
- mistreat2, maltreat, misapply3
- 9 letters
- desecrate3, mishandle3, misemploy
- 10 letters
- prostitute3, perversion3
- 11 letters
- desecration4, profanation4
- 12 letters
- prostitution4, mistreatment3
- 13 letters
- misemployment
- 14 letters
- misapplication5, misappropriate5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (abuse2 = 2 syllables).