misusing

Verb

misuse (third-person singular simple present misuses, present participle misusing, simple past and past participle misused or (obsolete) misust)

1. (transitive) To use (something) incorrectly.
2. (transitive) To abuse or mistreat (something or someone).
3. (transitive) To rape (a woman); later more generally, to sexually abuse (someone).
   • “If that is true she would be the first case I have ever heard of, as most female captives are misused by the entire tribe.”2013, Philipp Meyer, The Son, Simon & Schuster, published 2014, page 326

   Synonyms:

   abuse, outrage, violate, constuprate, defile, defoul, dishonour, force, oppress, pollute

4. (obsolete, transitive) To abuse verbally, to insult.
   • Socrates was brought upon the stage by Aristophanes, and misused to his face: but he laughed, as if it concerned him not […].1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II...

See all 5 meanings of misuse