Abuse
/əˈbjuːz/noun
To treat someone cruelly or violently, or to use something wrongly or excessively.
Did you know?It entered English through Latin and Old French as a word for misuse or improper use; the violent modern sense grew later, showing how language can harden over time.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂epó
“off, away”
Latin
Latin
ab
“from, away from”
Latin
Latin
abūsus
“misuse, improper use”
Old French
Old French
abuser
“to misuse, deceive, or overindulge”
Middle English
English
abusen
“to misuse or treat improperly”
Modern English
English
abuse
“to treat cruelly or use wrongly”