[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

abuse \abuse"\, v. t. imp.  p. p. abused; p. pr.  vb. n.
   abusing. f. abuser; l. abusus, p. p. of abuti to abuse,
   misuse; ab + uti to use. see use.
   1. to put to a wrong use; to misapply; to misuse; to put to a
      bad use; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert;
      as, to abuse inherited gold; to make an excessive use of;
      as, to abuse one's authority.
      1913 webster

            this principle if one may so abuse the word shoots
            rapidly into popularity.              --froude.
      1913 webster

   2. to use ill; to maltreat; to act injuriously to; to punish
      or to tax excessively; to hurt; as, to abuse prisoners, to
      abuse one's powers, one's patience.
      1913 webster

   3. to revile; to reproach coarsely; to disparage.
      1913 webster

            the . . . tellers of news abused the general.
                                                  --macaulay.
      1913 webster

   4. to dishonor. "shall flight abuse your name?" --shak.
      1913 webster

   5. to violate; to ravish. --spenser.
      1913 webster

   6. to deceive; to impose on. obs.
      1913 webster

            their eyes red and staring, cozened with a moist
            cloud, and abused by a double object. --jer. taylor.
      1913 webster

   syn: to maltreat; injure; revile; reproach; vilify;
        vituperate; asperse; traduce; malign.
        1913 webster
see also:
abused abusing use 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

abuse \abuse"\, n. f. abus, l. abusus, fr. abuti. see abuse,
   v. t.
   1. improper treatment or use; application to a wrong or bad
      purpose; misuse; as, an abuse of our natural powers; an
      abuse of civil rights, or of privileges or advantages; an
      abuse of language.
      1913 webster

            liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty,
            as well as by the abuses of power.    --madison.
      1913 webster

   2. physical ill treatment; injury. "rejoice . . . at the
      abuse of falstaff." --shak.
      1913 webster

   3. a corrupt practice or custom; offense; crime; fault; as,
      the abuses in the civil service.
      1913 webster

            abuse after disappeared without a struggle..
                                                  --macaulay.
      1913 webster

   4. vituperative words; coarse, insulting speech; abusive
      language; virulent condemnation; reviling.
      1913 webster

            the two parties, after exchanging a good deal of
            abuse, came to blows.                 --macaulay.
      1913 webster

   5. violation; rape; as, abuse of a female child. obs.
      1913 webster

            or is it some abuse, and no such thing? --shak.
      1913 webster

   abuse of distress law, a wrongful using of an animal or
      chattel distrained, by the distrainer.
      1913 webster

   syn: invective; contumely; reproach; scurrility; insult;
        opprobrium.

   usage: abuse, invective. abuse is generally prompted by
          anger, and vented in harsh and unseemly words. it is
          more personal and coarse than invective. abuse
          generally takes place in private quarrels; invective
          in writing or public discussions. invective may be
          conveyed in refined language and dictated by
          indignation against what is blameworthy. --c. j.
          smith.
          1913 webster
see also:
abuse abuse of distress invective 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

abuse
     n 1: cruel or inhumane treatment syn: maltreatment, ill-treatment,
           ill-usage
     2: a rude expression intended to offend or hurt; "when a
        student made a stupid mistake he spared them no abuse";
        "they yelled insults at the visiting team" syn: insult,
         revilement, contumely, vilification
     3: improper or excessive use syn: misuse
     v 1: treat badly; "this boss abuses his workers"; "she is always
          stepping on others to get ahead" syn: mistreat, maltreat,
           ill-use, step, ill-treat
     2: change the inherent purpose or function of something; "don't
        abuse the system"; "the director of the factory misused
        the funds intended for the health care of his workers"
        syn: pervert, misuse
     3: use foul or abusive language towards; "the actress abused
        the policeman who gave her a parking ticket"; "the angry
        mother shouted at the teacher" syn: clapperclaw, blackguard,
         shout
see also:
maltreatment ill-treatment ill-usage insult revilement contumely 
vilification misuse mistreat maltreat ill-use 
step ill-treat pervert clapperclaw blackguard 
shout 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

274 moby thesaurus words for "abuse":
   abuse of office, addiction, afflict, aggrieve, assail, assailing,
   assault, atrocity, attack, bark at, batter, befoul, befoulment,
   belittle, berate, berating, betongue, betray, betrayal, bewitch,
   billingsgate, bitter words, blacken, blackening, blackguard,
   blaspheme, bleed, bleed white, blight, bruise, buffet, call names,
   calumniate, calumniation, calumny, catachresis, censure, condemn,
   contumely, conversion, convert, corrupt, corrupt administration,
   corruption, criminal assault, crucify, curse, cursing, cuss out,
   damage, damn, debase, debasement, debauch, debauchment, deceive,
   decry, defalcate, defalcation, defamation, defame, defile,
   defilement, defloration, deflower, deflowering, dependence,
   deprave, deprecate, depreciate, derogate, desecrate, desecration,
   despoil, despoilment, destroy, detract from, diatribe,
   disadvantage, discount, disparage, dispraise, disserve, distress,
   diversion, divert, do a mischief, do evil, do ill, do violence to,
   do wrong, do wrong by, do wrong to, doom, drain, embezzle,
   embezzlement, envenom, epithet, epithetize, execrate, execration,
   exploit, fault, force, foul, fouling, fulminate against,
   get into trouble, harass, hard words, harm, hex, hurt, ill use,
   ill-treat, ill-treatment, ill-usage, ill-use, impair, impose,
   impose upon, imprecation, infect, injure, injury, insult,
   invective, jaw, jawing, jeremiad, jinx, knock about, lambaste,
   lead astray, libel, load with reproaches, make use of,
   maladminister, maladministration, malediction, malfeasance, malign,
   maligning, malpractice, maltreat, maltreatment, malversation,
   manhandle, manipulate, mar, masturbation, maul, menace, mess up,
   milk, minimize, misapplication, misapply, misappropriate,
   misappropriation, misconduct, misemploy, misemployment,
   misfeasance, mishandle, mishandling, mislead, mismanage,
   mismanagement, mistreat, mistreatment, misusage, misuse, molest,
   molestation, mud, objurgate, objurgation, obloquy, onslaught,
   oppress, opprobrium, outrage, peculate, peculation, persecute,
   perversion, pervert, philippic, pilfer, pilfering, play havoc with,
   play hob with, play on, poison, pollute, pollution,
   poor stewardship, prejudice, presume upon, priapism, profanation,
   profane, profanity, prostitute, prostitution, rag, rail at,
   railing, rape, rate, rating, ravage, rave against, ravish,
   ravishment, rebuke, reproach, revile, revilement, reviling, rough,
   rough up, ruin, savage, scathe, scold, scolding, screed,
   scurrility, seduce, seducement, seduction, self-abuse,
   sexual assault, slander, soil, spoil, stroke, suck dry, sully,
   swear, swear at, swearing, taint, take advantage of, threaten,
   thunder against, tirade, tongue-lash, tongue-lashing, torment,
   torture, traduce, upbraid, upbraiding, use, use ill, vilification,
   vilify, violate, violation, violence, vituperate, vituperation,
   work on, work upon, wound, wreak havoc on, write off, wrong,
   yell at, yelp at

Abuse >> A Words
Abuse, definition of term: Abuse
abuse_pag1.html

Substance Abuse >> S Words
Substance Abuse, definition of term: Substance Abuse
substance+abuse_pag1.html

Drug Abuse >> D Words
Drug Abuse, definition of term: Drug Abuse
drug+abuse_pag1.html

Child Abuse >> C Words
Child Abuse, definition of term: Child Abuse
child+abuse_pag1.html

Alcohol Abuse >> A Words
Alcohol Abuse, definition of term: Alcohol Abuse
alcohol+abuse_pag1.html