misuse
misuse — noun
1. a situation where something is put to an unsuitable, harmful, or dishonest use,
a situation where something is put to an unsuitable, harmful, or dishonest use, often with negative results.
The misuse of company funds led to a full investigation by the board.
pattern: misuse of [funds / resources]
Lucía's report examined the widespread misuse of antibiotics on farms.
Any misuse of personal data will result in legal action against the organisation.
The judge described the officer's actions as a serious misuse of authority.
There is growing concern about the misuse of social media during election campaigns.
- abuse
stronger and more active — often implies deliberate harm or cruelty rather than just wrong use
- misapplication
more formal and narrower — focuses on using something in a way that does not fit its intended purpose
- waste
emphasises using too much or using something on things that are not important, rather than using it wrongly
文法句型
misuse + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Typically followed by 'of' to specify what is being used wrongly. Common in formal, legal, and journalistic writing. The plural form 'misuses' is rare but possible when referring to multiple instances.
常見錯誤
misuse — verb
1. to put something to an unsuitable or dishonest use, especially by applying it to
to put something to an unsuitable or dishonest use, especially by applying it to a wrong purpose or by handling it in a harmful manner — for example, spending public money on personal luxuries, or taking strong medicine without a medical reason.
The charity's director was accused of misusing donations meant for disaster relief.
passive: be accused of misusing [funds]
If you misuse the equipment, you may have to pay for the repairs yourself.
Some athletes were found to be misusing painkillers to improve their performance.
Tyler misused his position as team leader to give his friends the easiest tasks.
Parents worry that children may misuse the internet when left unsupervised.
文法句型
misuse + noun phrase
be misused + to-infinitive
accuse someone of misusing + noun phrase
用法筆記
The subject is typically a person or organisation in a position of authority or control over the thing being misused. Frequently passive when the focus is on the wrong action rather than who did it.