- abuse
- {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun1 wrong/bad use of sthADJECTIVE▪ alcohol, drug, solvent, substance (= drugs, etc.)▪ systematic, widespread▪ flagrantVERB + ABUSE▪ prevent, stop▪ investigate, report▪ be open to▪
The legal system is open to abuse.
PREPOSITION▪ abuse of▪abuse of prisoners
PHRASES▪ the abuse of power2 bad, usually violent treatment of sbADJECTIVE▪ emotional, physical, psychological, sex, sexual▪ child, elder (esp. AmE), prisoner, spousal (esp. AmE)▪victims of child abuse
▪ human rights abuses▪allegations of human rights abuses
▪ alleged, suspected… OF ABUSE▪ case▪six cases of suspected child abuse
VERB + ABUSE▪ commit▪ subject sb to▪She was subjected to regular sexual abuse.
▪ experience, suffer, take▪The child had taken a lot of emotional abuse.
▪ allege, suspect sb ofABUSE + VERB▪ happen, occur, take placeABUSE + NOUN▪ victimPHRASES▪ an allegation of abuse▪allegations of child abuse
▪ a perpetrator of abuse▪ a victim of abuse3 insulting wordsADJECTIVE▪ verbal▪ personal, racial (esp. BrE), racist… OF ABUSE▪ stream, torrent▪He was subjected to a torrent of personal abuse.
VERB + ABUSE▪ hurl, scream, shout, shower sb with, subject sb to▪ endure▪They had to endure continual racist abuse.
PHRASES▪ heap abuse on sb/sth▪Abuse and scorn were heaped on the proposals.
▪ a target for abuse, a target of abuse▪The team who lost became a target of abuse for angry fans.
▪ a term of abuse▪{{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}}Calling someone stupid is definitely a term of abuse.
verbADVERB▪ emotionally, mentally, physically, sexually, verbally▪All the children had been physically and emotionally abused.
▪ badly, severely
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
