Definition of "abuse"

Dickens was careful to castigate abuses which were being reformed.

1948, W. R. Inge, The End of an Age and Other Essays

Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty, as well as by the abuses of power.

1788, James Madison, Federalist, Number 63

Few concepts are as emotionally charged as that of race. The word conjures up a mixture of associations—culture, ethnicity, genetics, subjugation, exclusion and persecution. But is the tragic history of efforts to define groups of people by race really a matter of the misuse of science, the abuse of a valid biological concept?

2012 March-April, Jan Sapp, “Race Finished”, in American Scientist‎, volume 100, number 2, page 164

Or is it some abuse, and no such thing?

1601, William Shakespeare, Hamlet, act IV, scene VII

The two parties, after exchanging a good deal of abuse, came to blows.

1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, The history of England: from the accession of James the Second, volume 9, page 153

But he and all the southerners who indulge in this abuse in the newspapers should realize that this will not enable us to find a solution to our problem but will merely aggravate it.

1950 February 11, Alhaji Na-Alhaji, Gaskiya Fa Ti Kwabo

The pair – aged 14 and 15 years old – have been accused of assaulting and shouting abuse at four people in central Southampton, police have said.

2020, “Coronavirus: Teenage girls arrested after 'abusing Chinese people wearing face masks in racially-motivated attack'”, in The Independent

This principle (if we may so abuse the word) shot rapidly into popularity

1856, James Anthony Froude, History of England from the fall of Wolsey to the defeat of the Spanish Armada, volume 1, published 1870, page 353

And I would have things to say to this God at the judgement, storming at him, as Job stormed with the eloquence of the abused heart.

a. 1990, R. S. Thomas, At It

The […] tellers of news abused the general.

1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 14, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volumes (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans

But ever and always curse him and abuse him.

1904, W. B. Yeats, The King's Threshold

So we were angered by this and we could not tolerate this one because prophet Mohammed has been abused so many times in this country. Awolowo abused him sometimes ago saying that he was more successful and popular that[sic] Mohammed and Jesus.

1991, Yakubu Yahaya, quoted in: 2001, Toyin Falola, Violence in Nigeria: The Crisis of Religious Politics and Secular Ideologies, p. 199

However, shortages have seen customers yelling at employees, and abusing staff members as they work frantically to keep up with demand.

2020, “'Our team are here to help, not hurt': Woolworths urge customers not to abuse staff”, in Nine News‎

Like Angels life was then mens happy cace; But later ages pride, like corn-fed ſteed, Abuſd her plenty, and fat ſwolne encreace To all licentious luſt, and gan exceed

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, stanza 16, page 276

This the Holy Scripture teaches, as expreſly as may be; Neither Fornicators, ſays St. Paul, nor Adulterers, nor the Abominable, ſhall inherit the Kingdom of God; cautioning alſo at the ſame time, that we don’t abuſe our ſelves, nor flatter our ſelves in this Reſpect.

1722, Onania; or, The Heinous Sin of Self-Pollution‎, 6th edition, London, retrieved 28 February 2022, page 26

Through “wantonness,” or just by being “idle and alone,” or by the instruction of intimates, the young learn to abuse themselves without learning how wrong and dangerous it is.

2003, Thomas W. Laqueur, Solitary Sex: A Cultural History of Masturbation‎, New York: Zone Books, retrieved 28 February 2022, page 14

Believe me, sir, he hath been abused, grossly abused to you.

1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

When Cyrus had espied Astyages and his fellows coming drunk from a banquet loaden with variety of follies and filthiness, their legs failing them, their eyes red and staring, cozened with a moist cloud and abused by a double object

1651-2, Jeremy Taylor, "Sermon VI, The House of Feasting; or, The Epicures Measures", in The works of Jeremy Taylor, Volume 1, page 283 (1831), edited by Thomas Smart Hughes