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| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | misuse |
| Synonyms: | defalcate, embezzle, misappropriate, misemploy, pervert, steal |
| Main Entry: | embezzle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | steal money, often from employer |
| Synonyms: | abstract, appropriate, defalcate, filch, forge, loot, misapply, misappropriate, misuse, peculate, pilfer, purloin, put hand in cookie jar, put hand in till, skim, thieve |
| Antonyms: | compensate, give, pay, reimburse, return |
| Main Entry: | misappropriate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | use wrongly; steal |
| Synonyms: | abuse, appropriate, defalcate, embezzle, misapply, misspend, misuse, peculate, plunder, pocket, rob, swindle |
| Antonyms: | appropriate, use wisely |
| Main Entry: | mishandle/mismanage |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | mess up |
| Synonyms: | abuse, be incompetent, be inefficient, blow, blunder, botch, bungle, confound, err, flub, foul up, fumble, goof up, goof, gum up, harm, make a hash of, make a mess of, maladminister, misapply, misconduct, misdirect, misemploy, misgovern, mistreat, misuse, muff, overlook, pervert, prostitute, put foot in, screw up, shoot oneself in foot |
| Antonyms: | handle, manage |
| Main Entry: | misunderstand |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | get the wrong idea |
| Synonyms: | be at cross purposes, be bewildered, be confused, be perplexed, confound, confuse, fail, get signals crossed, get signals mixed, get wrong, get wrong impression, misapply, misapprehend, miscalculate, miscomprehend, misconceive, misconstrue, misinterpret, misjudge, misknow, misread, misreckon, miss the point, miss*, mistake, not register, take amiss, take wrongly |
| Antonyms: | comprehend, construe, get, grasp, interpret, perceive, understand |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | misuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | abuse; apply wrongly |
| Synonyms: | blow*, brutalize, corrupt, cut up, desecrate, dissipate, exploit, go through, handle roughly, ill-treat, maltreat, maul, mess up*, misapply, misemploy, mistreat, molest, outrage, pervert, profane, prostitute, run through, shake up, squander, waste, wrong |
| Notes: | abuse carries with it some sense of harm; misuse refers to an incorrect use that may not lead to harm to misuse is to use something wrongly, to abuse is to misuse something so badly that you damage it |
| Antonyms: | use correctly |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | prostitute |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | to put one's talent to an unworthy use |
| Synonyms: | abuse, cheapen, corrupt, debase, debauch, degrade, demean, deprave, devalue, misapply, misemploy, misuse, pervert, profane, vitiate |
| Main Entry: | waste |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | spend or use without thought; dwindle |
| Synonyms: | atrophy, be of no avail, blow, burn up, consume, corrode, crumble, debilitate, decay, decline, decrease, deplete, disable, disappear, dissipate, divert, drain, droop, eat away, ebb, emaciate, empty, enfeeble, exhaust, fade, fritter away, frivol away, gamble away, gnaw, go to waste, lavish, lose, misapply, misemploy, misuse, perish, pour down the drain, run dry, run through, sap, sink, splurge, squander, thin, throw away, trifle away, undermine, wane, wear, wear out, wilt, wither |
| Notes: | wastage is loss through use such as wear, leakage, or decay; the gradual process of wasting; or an amount that is wasted -- while waste is loss through carelessness, inefficiency, or ignorance or another word for garbage or rubbish |
| Antonyms: | hoard, save |
| Main Entry: | mishandle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bobble |
| Synonyms: | abuse, be incompetent, be inefficient, blow, blunder, botch, bungle, confound, err, flub, foul up, fumble, goof, goof up, gum up, harm, maladminister, mess up, misapply, misconduct, misdirect, misemploy, misgovern, mismanager, mistreat, misuse, muff, overlook, pervert, prostitute, screw up |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
