1. Home
2. Idioms
3. abuse

abuse

---

---

abuse of distress

The wrongful or unlawful use or sale of property that has been seized in order to force payment or the performance of some contractual obligation (known in law as the process of distress or distrain). It was a clear case of abuse of distress: the landlord, without a court order, changed the locks on the door and then seized and sold the tenants' belongings only an hour after serving them a notice of eviction.

See also: abuse, of

abuse of privileges

The wrongful or unlawful misuse of power in one's duties, either at the expense of others or to the advantage of the abuser. The governor displayed a flagrant abuse of privileges, channeling state funds toward a project owned by her son-in-law at the expense of more worthwhile causes. The moderator was deemed to have committed an abuse of privileges, deleting comments that opposed his own.

See also: abuse, of, privilege

be (wide) open to [abuse/criticism etc.]

to be likely to be abused, criticized etc. The system is wide open to abuse. It's a position which leaves them wide open to criticism. You don't want to lay yourself open to attack.

See also: open

abuse oneself

To masturbate.

See also: abuse