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Definitions

misuse

[mis-yoos, mis-yooz] / mɪsˈyus, mɪsˈyuz /
NOUN
abuse; wrong application
Synonyms
STRONGEST
corruption exploitation harm maltreatment mistreatment prostitution squandering waste
STRONG
barbarism catachresis desecration dissipation ill-treatment injury malapropism misapplication perversion profanation solecism
WEAK
abusage cruel treatment misemployment misusage rough handling
Antonyms
STRONG
praise
VERB
abuse; apply wrongly
Synonyms
STRONGEST
corrupt exploit mistreat pervert squander
STRONG
blow brutalize desecrate dissipate ill-treat maltreat maul misapply molest outrage profane prostitute waste wrong
WEAK
cut up go through handle roughly mess up misemploy run through shake up
Antonyms
STRONG
assist guard hoard make happy please protect save
WEAK
use correctly

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.

Many homes “inappropriately diagnosed residents with schizophrenia to mask the nursing homes’ misuse of antipsychotic drugs and to artificially inflate their star ratings,” it adds.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

These suits claim that developers created, or refused to provide, certain features that made them especially susceptible to harm and misuse.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

“In the quickly expanding universe of cases involving sanctions for the misuse of artificial intelligence, this case is a notorious outlier in both degree and volume,” Clarke wrote.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

The results followed a campaign during which videos purporting to show figures close to the Freedom party were caught discussing ways to circumvent lobbying rules or misuse public funds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

There are so many examples of human misuse of the Earth that even phrasing this question chills me.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan