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ill-use

[ verb il-yooz; noun il-yoos ]

/ verb ˈɪlˈyuz; noun ˈɪlˈyus /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR ill-use ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), ill-used, ill-us·ing.

to treat badly, unjustly, cruelly, etc.

noun

Also ill-us·age. bad, unjust, or cruel treatment.

Origin of ill-use

First recorded in 1835–45

Words nearby ill-use

ill-starred, ill-suited, ill-tempered, ill-timed, ill-treat, ill-use, ill-wisher, ill., illampu, illation, illative

Example sentences from the Web for ill-use

For them, who now ill-use you, you have gone through life but half a man.

Long Live the King |Mary Roberts Rinehart
Oh, probably because she can ill-use it to her heart's content.

Woman and Artist |Max O'Rell
That little men should have ventured to ill-use you, has hurt your pride.

The Duke's Children |Anthony Trollope
He was Costantino's guardian; the boy had some money of his own, his uncle spent it all, and then began to ill-use him.

After the Divorce |Grazia Deledda

There was nobody to tease or ill-use him, and he was never ill.

The Little Lame Prince |Miss Mulock--Pseudonym of Maria Dinah Craik

British Dictionary definitions for ill-use

ill-use

verb (ˈɪlˈjuːz)

to use badly or cruelly; abuse; maltreat

noun (ˈɪlˈjuːs) ill-usage

harsh or cruel treatment; abuse