use

[ verb yooz or, for past tense form of 9, yoost; noun yoos ]
See synonyms for: useusedusesusing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),used, us·ing.
  1. to employ for some purpose; put into service; make use of: to use a knife.

  2. to avail oneself of; apply to one's own purposes: to use the facilities.

  1. to expend or consume in use: We have used the money provided.

  2. to treat or behave toward: He did not use his employees with much consideration.

  3. to take unfair advantage of; exploit: to use people to gain one's own ends.

  4. to drink, smoke, or ingest habitually: to use drugs.

  5. to habituate or accustom.

  6. Archaic. to practice habitually or customarily; make a practice of.

verb (used without object),used, us·ing.
  1. to be accustomed or customarily found (used with an infinitive expressed or understood, and, except in archaic use, now only in the past): He used to go every day.

  2. Archaic. to resort, stay, or dwell customarily.

noun
  1. the act of employing, using, or putting into service: the use of tools.

  2. the state of being employed or used.

  1. an instance or way of employing or using something: proper use of the tool; the painter's use of color.

  2. a way of being employed or used; a purpose for which something is used: He was of temporary use. The instrument has different uses.

  3. the power, right, or privilege of employing or using something: to lose the use of the right eye; to be denied the use of a library card.

  4. service or advantage in or for being employed or used; utility or usefulness: of no practical use.

  5. help; profit; resulting good: What's the use of pursuing the matter?

  6. occasion or need, as for something to be employed or used: Would you have any use for another calendar?

  7. continued, habitual, or customary employment or practice; custom: to follow the prevailing use of such occasions.

  8. Law.

    • the enjoyment of property, as by the employment, occupation, or exercise of it.

    • the benefit or profit of lands and tenements in the possession of another who simply holds them for the beneficiary.

    • the equitable ownership of land to which the legal title is in another's name.

  9. Liturgy. the distinctive form of ritual or of any liturgical observance used in a particular church, diocese, community, etc.

  10. usual or customary experience.

Verb Phrases
  1. use up,

    • to consume entirely.

    • to exhaust of vigor or usefulness; finish: By the end of the war he felt used up and sick of life.

Idioms about use

  1. have no use for,

    • to have no occasion or need for: She appears to have no use for the city.

    • to refuse to tolerate; discount: He had no use for his brother.

    • to have a distaste for; dislike: He has no use for dictators.

  2. make use of, to use for one's own purposes; employ: Charitable organizations will make use of your old furniture and clothing.

  1. of no use, of no advantage or help:It's of no use to look for that missing earring. It's no use asking her to go. : Also no use.

  2. put to use, to apply; employ to advantage: What a shame that no one has put that old deserted mansion to use!

Origin of use

1
First recorded in 1175–1225; (verb) Middle English usen, from Old French user, from Latin ūsus, past participle of ūtī “to use”; (noun) Middle English, from Old French, from Latin ūsus “act of using a thing, application, employment,” equivalent to ūt-, stem of ūtī “to use” + -tus suffix of verbal action, with tt becoming s

confusables note For use

See usage.

Other words for use

Other words from use

  • mul·ti·use, adjective
  • non·use, noun
  • non·us·ing, adjective
  • re·use, verb, re·used, re·us·ing, noun
  • un·der·use, verb (used with object), un·der·used, un·der·us·ing, noun

Words that may be confused with use

  • 1. use , utilize (see synonym study at the current entry)
  • 2. use , usage (see usage note at the current entry)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use use in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for use

use

verb(juːz) (tr)
  1. to put into service or action; employ for a given purpose: to use a spoon to stir with

  2. to make a practice or habit of employing; exercise: he uses his brain

  1. to behave towards: to use a friend well

  2. to behave towards in a particular way for one's own ends: he uses people

  3. to consume, expend, or exhaust: the engine uses very little oil

  4. mainly US and Canadian to partake of (alcoholic drink, drugs, etc) or smoke (tobacco, marijuana, etc)

noun(juːs)
  1. the act of using or the state of being used: the carpet wore out through constant use

  2. the ability, right, or permission to use

  1. the occasion to use; need: I have no use for this paper

  2. an instance or manner of using

  3. usefulness; advantage: it is of no use to complain

  4. custom; practice; habit: long use has inured him to it

  5. the purpose for which something is used; end

  6. Christianity a distinctive form of liturgical or ritual observance, esp one that is traditional in a Church or group of Churches

  7. the enjoyment of property, land, etc, by occupation or by deriving revenue or other benefit from it

  8. law the beneficial enjoyment of property the legal title to which is held by another person as trustee

  9. law an archaic word for trust (def. 7)

  10. philosophy logic linguistics the occurrence of an expression in such a context that it performs its own linguistic function rather than being itself referred to. In " Fido " refers to Fido, the name Fido is 'used' only on the second occurrence, first being mentioned: Compare mention (def. 7) See also material mode

  11. have no use for

    • to have no need of

    • to have a contemptuous dislike for

  12. make use of

    • to employ; use

    • to exploit (a person)

Origin of use

1
C13: from Old French user to use, from Latin ūsus having used, from ūtī to use

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with use

use

In addition to the idioms beginning with use

  • used to
  • use one's head
  • use up

also see:

  • have no use for
  • make use of
  • no use
  • put to good use

Also see underused.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.