/ English Dictionary |
ILL-USE
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
I. (verb)
Verb forms
Present simple: I / you / we / they ill-use ... he / she / it ill-uses
Past simple: ill-used
-ing form: ill-using
Sense 1
Meaning:
Example:
She is always stepping on others to get ahead
Synonyms:
abuse; ill-treat; ill-use; maltreat; mistreat; step
Classified under:
Verbs of political and social activities and events
Hypernyms (to "ill-use" is one way to...):
do by; handle; treat (interact in a certain way)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "ill-use"):
kick around (treat badly; abuse)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Sentence example:
They want to ill-use the prisoners
Derivation:
ill-usage (cruel or inhumane treatment)
Context examples:
He’ll be vastly ill-used if you don’t let him have his own choice of conditions.
(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
She had no resources for solitude; and inheriting a considerable share of the Elliot self-importance, was very prone to add to every other distress that of fancying herself neglected and ill-used.
(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)
Henry, I think so highly of Fanny Price, that if I could suppose the next Mrs. Crawford would have half the reason which my poor ill-used aunt had to abhor the very name, I would prevent the marriage, if possible; but I know you: I know that a wife you loved would be the happiest of women, and that even when you ceased to love, she would yet find in you the liberality and good-breeding of a gentleman.
(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)
Was ever any poor girl so ill-used by her servants as I am!
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
But what I mean is, that I hope there is nothing in Captain Wentworth's manner of writing to make you suppose he thinks himself ill-used by his friend, which might appear, you know, without its being absolutely said.
(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)
But, finding you true gold, a very lady, and an ill-used innocent, with a fresh heart full of love and trustfulness—which you look like, and is quite consistent with your story!
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
She felt herself ill-used and unfortunate, as did her father; and they were neither of them able to devise any means of lessening their expenses without compromising their dignity, or relinquishing their comforts in a way not to be borne.
(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)
Though I don't know that it's much of a peculiarity, either; for he has been ill-used enough, by some that bear it, to have a mortal antipathy for it, Heaven knows.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
She would not, upon any account, mention her having met with him the second time; luckily Mary did not much attend to their having passed close by him in their earlier walk, but she would have felt quite ill-used by Anne's having actually run against him in the passage, and received his very polite excuses, while she had never been near him at all; no, that cousinly little interview must remain a perfect secret.
(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)
I was not actively ill-used.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)