misuse

1 of 2

verb

mis·​use ˌmis-ˈyüz How to pronounce misuse (audio)
misused; misusing; misuses
Synonyms of misusenext

transitive verb

1
: to use incorrectly : misapply
misused his talents
a word that is frequently misused
was charged with misusing company funds
2
: abuse, mistreat
… their prisoner had the heavy task of receiving their insolence as wit, answering their insults with good-humour, and withholding from them the opportunity which they sought of engaging him in a quarrel, that they might have a pretence for misusing him.—Sir Walter Scott
misuser noun
plural misusers

misuse

2 of 2

noun

mis·​use ˌmis-ˈyüs How to pronounce misuse (audio)
: incorrect or improper use : misapplication
the misuse of words
a misuse of power

Synonyms of misuse

Relevance

Verb

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of misuse in a Sentence

Verb She's charged with misusing company funds. a word that is frequently misused Noun No refunds will be offered on products damaged by misuse. the warranty for this dryer is null and void if you subject the product to deliberate misuse
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Less than a year into existence, a WPBL board member has alleged the organization is misusing funds. — Chris Branch, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Furthermore a Washington Post investigation found nearly 50 cases of officers charged with or accused of misusing the cameras, many involving tracking current or former romantic partners. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
Noun
Flock Safety announced some changes to its policies in mid-August after reports of misuse, including requiring officers to enter specific codes. — Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026 Still, the pushback led Langley to announce a slew of measures aimed at curbing police misuse. — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for misuse

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, partly from mis- + usen to use; partly from Middle French mesuser to abuse, from Old French, from mes- + user to use

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of misuse was in the 14th century

Rhymes for misuse

See All Rhymes for misuse

Browse Nearby Words

misusage
misuse
misuse of patents
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Misuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misuse. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

misuse

1 of 2 verb
mis·​use mish-ˈüz How to pronounce misuse (audio)
(ˈ)mish-ˈyüz, 
(ˈ)mis-ˈyüz
1
: to use incorrectly : misapply
2
: abuse entry 1 sense 2, mistreat
misusage
-ˈ(y)ü-sij, 
-zij
noun

misuse

2 of 2 noun
mis·​use mish-ˈüs How to pronounce misuse (audio)
(ˈ)mish-ˈyüs, 
(ˈ)mis-ˈyüs
: incorrect or improper use
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All