abused

1. 1
   adjective

   Having been a victim of abuse, especially child abuse or domestic violence.

   The abused child finally confided in a school counselor about what was happening at home.

   Many abused partners stay silent for years out of fear and shame.

   Similarbattered, victimized

2. 2
   verb

   Simple past and past participle of abuse.

   The company abused a legal loophole to avoid paying its taxes.

   Generations of workers were abused by the factory's owners.

   Note

   One spelling serves as both the past tense and the participle, following the regular pattern: they abused the trust, the trust was abused, they have abused it. Every meaning of abuse passes through this form, including misusing a loophole, mistreating workers, reviling an opponent and taking a drug to excess. In the passive the participle sits close to the adjective for victims. The adjective can be graded (more abused), but the verb form cannot.

3. 3
   adjective

   Overused, or used wastefully and to excess.

   By the end of the campaign, the slogan felt tired and abused.

   Exclamation points are badly abused in marketing emails.

   Similaroverused, overworked, misused, hackneyed

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