Misuse
Misuse verb - To put to a bad or improper use.
Usage example: an actor who misused his considerable talent by appearing in too many lousy movies
Nearby Words: misused, misusing
Utilize
Utilize verb - To put into action or service.
Usage example: we must utilize all the tools at our disposal
Common collocations
Cite this Source
Utilize and Misuse. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/misuse/utilize
Misuse & Utilize. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/misuse/utilize>.
Utilize or Misuse. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/misuse/utilize.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "misuse" and "utilize" have occurred on timeline