Englishabuse
verb
1 the judge abused his power by imposing the fines:
misuse, misapply, misemploy, mishandle;
exploit, pervert, take advantage of.
2 he was accused of abusing children:
mistreat, maltreat, ill-treat, treat badly, ill-use, misuse;
handle/treat roughly, knock about, knock around, manhandle, mishandle, maul, molest, interfere with, indecently assault, sexually abuse, sexually assault, grope, assault, hit, strike, beat;
injure, hurt, harm, damage;
wrong, bully, persecute, oppress, torture;
informal beat up, rough up, do over.
▷antonyms look after.
3 the referee was abused by players from both teams:
insult, be rude to, swear at, curse, call someone names, taunt, shout at, scold, rebuke, upbraid, reprove, castigate, inveigh against, impugn, slur, revile, smear, vilify, vituperate against, slander, libel, cast aspersions on, offend, slight, disparage, denigrate, defame;
British, informal slag off;
North American, informal trash-talk;
archaic miscall.
▷antonyms compliment, flatter.
noun
1 this law is not going to stop the abuse of power:
misuse, misapplication, misemployment, mishandling;
exploitation, perversion.
2 the abuse of children is a major social problem:
mistreatment, maltreatment, ill treatment, ill use, misuse;
rough treatment, manhandling, mishandling, molestation, interference, indecent assault, sexual abuse, sexual assault, assaulting, hitting, striking, beating;
injury, hurt, harm, damage;
wronging, bullying, persecution, oppression, torture;
informal beating up, roughing up, doing over.
▷antonyms care.
3 the scheme is open to political control and administrative abuse:
corruption, injustice, wrongdoing, wrong, misconduct, delinquency, misdeed(s), offence (s), crime, fault, sin.
4 torrents of abuse:
insults, curses, jibes, slurs, expletives, swear words;
swearing, cursing, name-calling, scolding;
rebukes, upbraiding, reproval, invective, castigation, revilement, vilification, vituperation, slander, libel, slights, disparagement, denigration, defamation;
informal slanging, a slanging match, mud-slinging, disrespect;
British, informal verbal(s);
North American, informal trash talk;
archaic contumely.
▷antonyms compliments, flattery.
abuse Oxford Dictionary of English