EN

Synonyms for use

  • verb
  • noun

Most common

utilize apply employ treat consume expend take advantage of

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Utilize — to utilize or employ. To employ; to apply; to utilize

utilize, utilise UK, apply, employ, treat, work, wield, deal with, familiarize UK US, familiarise UK, put to use, operate, handle, exert, play, turn, engage, bestow, ply, brook, manipulate dated

2. Consume

consume, expend, exhaust, wear, eat, waste, wipe out, eat up, deplete, swallow up

3. Take advantage of — to utilize or employ. To exploit

take advantage of, exploit, take, turn to account, leverage, trade

Other

practice US, practise UK, habituate, bring into play, borrow, go by, inure, accustom, improve dated

Noun

1. Usage — the act of using

usage, exercise, employment, utilization, utilisation UK, note, nait

2. Function

function, purpose, role

3. Meaning — usefulness, utility, benefit; purpose, point

meaning, meaningfulness

4. Consumption

consumption, usance rare

Other

need, advantage, application, usefulness, way, utility, custom, habit, avail, benefit, service, convenience

Antonyms

uselessness, pointlessness, meaninglessness

All antonyms of use →

Definitions

  1. v. 1

    To utilize or employ. To employ; to apply; to utilize.

    Use this knife to slice the bread.

  2. v. 2

    To utilize or employ. To exploit.

    You never cared about me; you just used me!

  3. n. 1

    The act of using.

    The use of torture has been condemned by the United Nations.

  4. n. 2

    Usefulness, utility, benefit; purpose, point.

    Near-synonyms: meaning, meaningfulness

Related words

Word family
useless useful used user
Phrases
use up use the toilet make use old use put to use alcohol use disorder drug use caffeine use disorder

Forms

Plural
uses → usages, exercises, employments, utilizations…
Past participle
used
e.g. used → utilized, applied, employed, tret…

Choose the right word

Use, Usage or Habit?

Use and usage denote the manner of using something; we speak of one person's use of language, but of the usage of many; a use or usage is almost always a habit.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

  • apply I didn't apply for the job that Tom told me about.
  • treat If you treat him fairly, he will be fair with you.
  • employ The company has unofficially decided to employ me.
  • utilize We had better utilize our natural resources.
  • consume Giraffes consume copious amounts of acacia leaves.
  • expend According to the budget, she could expend no more on supplies.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
usesteady
applysteady
treatrising
employfalling
utilizefalling
consumerising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters
way1, eat1, ply1
4 letters
work1, need1, take1, play1, turn1, role1, note1, wear1, nait
5 letters
trade1, apply2, treat1, waste1, usage2, habit2, brook1, avail2, exert2, wield1, inure2
6 letters
handle2, engage2, custom2, employ2, borrow2, bestow2, expend2, usance
7 letters
service2, purpose2, meaning2, improve2, benefit3, operate3, utility4, consume2, utilize3, exhaust2, exploit2, utilise, deplete2
8 letters
practice2, function2, exercise3, leverage3, practise2, accustom3
9 letters
advantage3, habituate
10 letters
employment3, manipulate4, usefulness3
11 letters
application4, consumption3, convenience3, utilization5, familiarize4, utilisation, familiarise
14 letters
meaningfulness

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (apply2 = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français
utiliser
Italiano
utilizzare
Català
usar