To abuse means to treat someone or something badly, cruelly, or harmfully. When a person abuses their power, they use it in ways that hurt others rather than help them. An older student who picks on younger kids, taking their lunch money or pushing them around, is abusing their size and strength advantage.

Abuse can be physical, like hitting or hurting someone, but it can also mean using harsh, cruel words that damage someone's feelings and confidence. A coach who constantly insults players instead of teaching them is engaging in verbal abuse. The word captures the idea of misusing something, of taking what should be good and twisting it into something harmful.

The word also applies to things. You might abuse a privilege by taking advantage of it in ways you shouldn't. If a teacher lets the class have free reading time and students abuse that freedom by goofing off and being loud, she might take the privilege away. Someone who abuses their library card might keep books for months past the due date, preventing others from reading them.

Abuse involves a betrayal of trust or responsibility. Whether it's abusing power, abusing someone's kindness, or abusing a pet by not caring for it properly, the word signals that something meant for good is being twisted into something wrong.