Treating someone with cruelty or violence, or using something in a harmful or improper way.
From Latin 'abusus,' past participle of 'abuti' (to use up/misuse): 'ab-' (away) plus 'uti' (to use). The word has meant misuse since Old French.
Psychologically, abuse follows a pattern in relationships that experts call the cycle of violence—tension building, explosive incident, reconciliation, calm—and understanding this cycle has helped abuse survivors recognize patterns they couldn't articulate before. The word evolved from simple 'misuse' to carrying the emotional weight of the worst human behaviors toward others.
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