use
Other forms: used; using; uses
Say the daughter of your favorite musician just enrolled at your school. If you just use her to get to meet her rock star dad, that's pretty unkind.
Use is an old word with a lot of, well, uses. You can use a bike to get to school, or use up an entire tube of toothpaste in one vigorous brushing session. You might have to show Grandma how to use the 3-in-1 remote control. As a noun use means "purpose." As a verb, use means either "put to work," or "work something until there isn't anything left," unless you use your friend, meaning you exploit her.
Definitions of use
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put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose“use your head!”“we only use Spanish at home”“I can't use this tool”“use the plastic bags to store the food”“He doesn't know how to use a computer”
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types:
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commit, consecrate, dedicate, devote, give
give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause
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play
employ in a game or in a specific position
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play
use or move
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pull out all the stops
use all resources available
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assign, put
attribute or give
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ply
use diligently
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address
address or apply oneself to something, direct one's efforts towards something, such as a question
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waste
use inefficiently or inappropriately
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misapply, misuse
apply to a wrong thing or person; apply badly or incorrectly
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avail
use to one's advantage
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overdrive, overuse
make use of too often or too extensively
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cannibalise, cannibalize
use parts of something to repair something else
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recycle, reprocess, reuse
use again after processing
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exploit, work
use or manipulate to one's advantage
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exploit, tap
draw from; make good use of
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extend, strain
use to the utmost; exert vigorously or to full capacity
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exercise, exert
put to use
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enjoy
have benefit from
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take
travel or go by means of a certain kind of transportation, or a certain route
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share
use jointly or in common
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put to work, work
cause to work
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implement
apply in a manner consistent with its purpose or design
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fall back, recur, resort
have recourse to
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manipulate
skillfully utilize, process, or operate on
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exercise, work, work out
give a workout to
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warm up
cause to do preliminary exercises so as to stretch the muscles
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maximise, maximize
make the most of
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consecrate, vow
dedicate to a deity by a vow
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rededicate
dedicate anew
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promote
change a pawn for a better piece by advancing it to the eighth row, or change a checker piece for a more valuable piece by moving it to the row closest to your opponent
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repose
put or confide something in a person or thing
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rehash
present or use over, with no or few changes
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make hay
turn to one's advantage
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play
use to one's advantage
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harness
exploit the power of
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mine
get from the earth by excavation
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quarry
extract (something such as stones) from or as if from a quarry
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overexploit
exploit excessively
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commercialise, commercialize
exploit for maximal profit, usually by sacrificing quality
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milk
exploit as much as possible
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overextend, overstrain
strain excessively
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task, tax
use to the limit
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avail, help
take or use
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feed, prey
profit from in an exploitatory manner
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computerise, computerize, cybernate
control a function, process, or creation by a computer
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reclaim, recover
reuse (materials from waste products)
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double up
share a room or a bed designed for only one person
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pool
combine into a common fund
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communalise, communalize
make something the property of the commune or community
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rack
put on a rack and pinion
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exploit, overwork
work excessively hard
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apply
apply oneself to
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parlay
exploit a skill or resource in order to get something of greater value
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seek or achieve an end by using to one's advantage
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take or consume (regularly or habitually)
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use up, consume fully
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synonyms:
expend
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types:
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abuse, misuse, pervert
change the inherent purpose or function of something
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abuse
use wrongly or improperly or excessively
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spare
use frugally or carefully
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occupy, take, use up
require (time or space)
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blow, squander, waste
spend thoughtlessly; throw away
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fracture
violate or abuse
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take in vain
use a name, such as God, without proper respect
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be
spend or use time
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burn
spend (significant amounts of money)
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avail oneself to
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habitually do something (use only in the past tense)
Definitions of use
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the act of using
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synonyms:
employment, exercise, usage, utilisation, utilization
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types:
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practice
the exercise of a profession
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play
utilization or exercise
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abuse, misuse
improper or excessive use
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development, exploitation
the act of making some area of land or water more profitable or productive or useful
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recycling
the act of processing used or abandoned materials for use in creating new products
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application, practical application
the act of bringing something to bear; using it for a particular purpose
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sustainability
the use of methods that do not cause long-term harm to the environment or deplete natural resources
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consultancy
the practice of giving expert advice within a particular field
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cosmetology
the practice of beautifying the face and hair and skin
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dental practice
the practice of dentistry
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law practice
the practice of law
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medical practice
the practice of medicine
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optometry
the practice of an optometrist
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private practice
the practice of a profession independently and not as an employee
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drug abuse, habit, substance abuse
excessive use of drugs
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land development
making an area of land more useful
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water development, water program, water project
making an area of water more useful
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bottle collection
collecting bottles for reuse
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misapplication
wrong use or application
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engineering, technology
the practical application of science to commerce or industry
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overexploitation, overuse, overutilisation, overutilization
exploitation to the point of diminishing returns
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capitalisation, capitalization
the act of capitalizing on an opportunity
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commercialisation, commercialization
the act of commercializing something; involving something in commerce
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electrification
the act of providing electricity
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unitisation, unitization
the joint development of a petroleum resource that straddles territory controlled by different companies
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witching
the use or practice of witchcraft
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type of:
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activity
any specific behavior
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what something is used for“ballet is beautiful but what use is it?”
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types:
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raison d'etre
the purpose that justifies a thing's existence
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type of:
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usefulness, utility
the quality of being of practical use
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raison d'etre
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a particular service“he put his knowledge to good use”“patrons have their uses”
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type of:
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usefulness, utility
the quality of being of practical use
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usefulness, utility
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exerting shrewd or devious influence especially for one's own advantage
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synonyms:
manipulation
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(law) the exercise of the legal right to enjoy the benefits of owning property“we were given the use of his boat”
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synonyms:
enjoyment
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types:
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fair use
the conditions under which you can use material that is copyrighted by someone else without paying royalties
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fruition
enjoyment derived from use or possession
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type of:
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legal right
a right based in law
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fair use
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(economics) the utilization of economic goods to satisfy needs or in manufacturing
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synonyms:
consumption, economic consumption, usance, use of goods and services
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types:
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conspicuous consumption
buying expensive services and products in order to flaunt your wealth
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type of:
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demand
the ability and desire to purchase goods and services
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conspicuous consumption
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(psychology) an automatic pattern of behavior in reaction to a specific situation; may be inherited or acquired through frequent repetition“long use had hardened him to it”
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synonyms:
habit
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types:
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ritual
stereotyped behavior
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second nature
acquired behavior that is practiced so long it seems innate
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cleanliness
the habit of keeping free of superficial imperfections
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ritual
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘use'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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