Definitions

used

[yoozd, yoost] / yuzd, yust /

ADJECTIVE

secondhand

Synonyms

STRONG

recycled worn

WEAK

hand-me-down nearly new not new passed down pre-owned

Usage

What is another way to say used? What is used often has depreciated or been diminished, sometimes completely consumed: a used automobile; All the butter has been used. Used is the past participle of use, which is a general verb: to use a telephone; to use a saw and other tools; to use one's eyes; to use eggs in cooking. As applied to persons, use implies some selfish or sinister purpose: to use another to advance oneself. Utilize implies practical or profitable use: to utilize the means at hand, a modern system of lighting.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“We’re already seeing some tasks that used to take hours now take minutes and soon we won’t need to be in the loop on some tasks at all,” Bosworth wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

EasyJet's rules state that power banks are accepted on aircraft in cabin baggage only but are "prohibited from use" and "must not be used to charge other devices".

From BBC • May 24, 2026

The study, published in the journal PNAS, describes two carefully worked wooden objects that were shaped and used by humans.

From Science Daily • May 24, 2026

Leah Koch-Blumhardt, director of communications and one of its fourth-generation owners, said the company used to overstaff but not this year.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026

Dad used a hand-whittled peg fixed to a leather strap around his wrist.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

used

Usage

Example Sentences

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