Words / B2

mis-YOOZ/ˌmɪsˈjuːz/

To misuse is to use something wrongly or for the wrong purpose: misuse a fire exit; misuse of funds. Abuse is stronger and often cruel; use is neutral (already in the dictionary). Do not misuse the fire exit as a shortcut. Noun: misuse /ˌmɪsˈjuːs/. Mix-up: miss is to fail to catch (already in the dictionary); mice is the animal plural. Do not write misuse for “did not use”.

Meaning

To use something in the wrong way or for the wrong purpose.

Examples

• “Do not misuse the fire exit as a shortcut to the bus park.”
• “Misuse of bursary funds featured in the audit, which is the noun sense.”

Good to know

misuse + object; misuse of. Stronger: abuse. Noun IPA: /ˌmɪsˈjuːs/. Trap: miss / unused. H&S, finance, and news. Wrong use, not “forgot to use”.

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