USE | Meaning In The Cambridge English Dictionary

Meaning of use in English useverb uk /juːz/ us /juːz/

use verb (PURPOSE)

Add to word list Add to word list A1 [ T ] us uk /juːz/ used | used to put something such as a tool, skill, or building to a particular purpose: This glass has been used - could you get me a clean one? [ + to infinitive ] Use scissors to cut the shapes out. Going on the expedition gives me a chance to use all the training I've had. The old hospital isn't used any more.be used for These lights are used for illuminating the playing area.use something against someone/something To use military force against the protesters would be unacceptable.

• Your table manners are appalling - don't you know how to use a knife and fork?
• Please use the side entrance.
• If we clear out the spare room, you can use it as a study.
• The teacher demonstrated how to use the equipment.
• Pronouns are often used to refer to a noun that has already been mentioned.

Using and misusing

• adopt
• adoption
• avail
• avail yourself of something phrasal verb
• be/go heavy on something idiom
• consume
• exhaust
• get through phrasal verb
• get/muscle in on the act idiom
• give/allow something full play idiom
• go into something phrasal verb
• go through phrasal verb
• recycle
• spare
• swallow
• tap into something phrasal verb
• trade on something phrasal verb
• turn over phrasal verb
• turn to someone/something phrasal verb
• turn/use something to good account idiom

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use verb (REDUCE)

B1 [ T ] uk /juːz/ us /juːz/ used | used to reduce the amount of or finish something, by eating it, burning it, writing on it, or by a chemical reaction: use something (up) We've used (up) nearly all of the bread - will you buy some more? Does she still use drugs? Don't worry if you use the shampoo up (= use all of it) - I'll get more tomorrow. Compare consume

• There wasn't enough coal during the war, so we had to use it sparingly.
• We used four tins of paint when we painted the ceiling.
• There's no hot water - Rachel used it all for her bath.
• All right - who used the last carton of milk?
• Can I use some of that wrapping paper, or do you need it yourself?

Using and misusing

• adopt
• adoption
• avail
• avail yourself of something phrasal verb
• be/go heavy on something idiom
• consume
• exhaust
• get through phrasal verb
• get/muscle in on the act idiom
• give/allow something full play idiom
• go into something phrasal verb
• go through phrasal verb
• recycle
• spare
• swallow
• tap into something phrasal verb
• trade on something phrasal verb
• turn over phrasal verb
• turn to someone/something phrasal verb
• turn/use something to good account idiom

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use verb (WORD)

B2 [ T ] uk /juːz/ us /juːz/ used | used to say or write a particular word or phrase: "Autumn" is used in British English and "fall" in American English. That's an expression she often uses to describe how she feels. Saying & uttering

• (your) every word idiom
• add
• come out with something phrasal verb
• fall from something phrasal verb
• find your voice idiom
• get in phrasal verb
• in your own words idiom
• intone
• loud
• observe
• phrase
• quoth
• said
• say
• spoken
• string
• talk sense idiom
• think
• verbalize
• volunteer

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Writing & typing

use verb (TAKE ADVANTAGE)

C2 [ T ] usually disapproving uk /juːz/ us /juːz/ used | used to take advantage of a person or situation; to exploit: He's just using you - he'll steal your ideas and then take the credit for them himself. It might be possible to use their mistake to help us get what we want.

• She uses her newspaper column to expound her views on environmental issues.
• I think that some of her friends use her, rather, because she is so generous.
• She is just using the situation to gain a lot of cheap publicity.
• Many illegal immigrants are being shamefully used by unscrupulous employers.
• After years of being used and abused by her husband, Ruth finally left him.

Treating people or animals badly

• abuser
• anti-harassment
• at the hands of someone idiom
• batten
• batten on someone phrasal verb
• hell
• hit someone where it hurts idiom
• ill-treat
• ill-treatment
• ill-used
• pick on someone phrasal verb
• prey
• prey on something phrasal verb
• put someone through something phrasal verb
• put upon
• tyrannize
• tyranny
• uncared for
• victimization
• victimize

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use verb (IN THE PAST)

 use to uk /ˈjuːsˌtə/ us /ˈjuːsˌtə/ In negative sentences and questions, "use to" replaces "used to" when it follows "did" or "didn't": Did he use to be the doctor in "Star Trek"? We didn't use to go out much during the winter. Did you use to stay with your grandparents when you were a kid? I didn't use to like mushrooms, but I do now. The school didn't use to admit girls. In the past

• ago
• any more idiom
• anymore
• back in the day idiom
• back then idiom
• clock
• departed
• dim
• flood
• many moons ago idiom
• mist
• moon
• more
• no longer idiom
• retro
• rewind the clock idiom
• sometime
• step
• the mists of time idiom
• the status quo ante

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Idioms

could use something use your head

Phrasal verb

use something up usenoun uk /juːs/ us /juːs/

use noun (PURPOSE)

B1 [ C or U ] a purpose for which something is used: A food processor has a variety of uses in the kitchen.use for Don't throw that cloth away - you'll find a use for it one day. No, I don't want to buy a boat - I don't have any use for one! A2 [ U ] the act of using something, or a period of time when something is being used or can be used: put something to (good) use You should be able to put your experience in electronics to (good) use in your new job.in use Don't touch the machine when it's in use.not in use a flat-screen TV that becomes a mirror when it is not in useout of use It's a name that has almost fallen out of use (= is hardly used now ).the use of There has been an increase in the use of migrant workers in recent years.go out of/come into use Traditional farming methods are going out of/coming into use (= used less and less/more and more) in many areas.  make use of something B2 to use something that is available: We might as well make use of the hotel's facilities. See more  the use of something C2 permission to use something, or the ability to use something: have the use of something They said we could have the use of their beach house whenever they weren't there. See more

• The use of cameras in this museum is strictly forbidden.
• I made good use of my time , mixing with a lot of different people and practising my Spanish.
• We make helicopters mainly for military use rather than civil use.
• There was a big controversy over the use of drugs in athletics.
• We disapprove of this use of company funds for political purposes.

Goals and purposes

• achievement orientation
• affordance
• ambition
• avail
• dedicated
• dream
• eye
• function
• goal
• idea
• idly
• intention
• it's the thought that counts idiom
• mission
• reorientate
• reorientation
• someone's heart's desire idiom
• subgoal
• target setting
• thought

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Using and misusing

use noun (CONSUMPTION)

[ C or U ] the process of reducing the amount of something by burning it, eating it, involving it in a chemical reaction, etc.: use of In anaerobic respiration, sugar is broken down to lactic acid without the use of oxygen. a more efficient use of resources Using and misusing

• adopt
• adoption
• avail
• avail yourself of something phrasal verb
• be/go heavy on something idiom
• consume
• exhaust
• get through phrasal verb
• get/muscle in on the act idiom
• give/allow something full play idiom
• go into something phrasal verb
• go through phrasal verb
• recycle
• spare
• swallow
• tap into something phrasal verb
• trade on something phrasal verb
• turn over phrasal verb
• turn to someone/something phrasal verb
• turn/use something to good account idiom

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use noun (WORD)

[ C ] one of the meanings of a word, or the way that a particular word is used: Can you list all the uses of the word "point"? Meaning & significance

• acceptation
• add
• add up to something phrasal verb
• backspin
• be a badge of something idiom
• connotation
• i.e.
• inauspiciously
• interpretable
• locution
• locutionary
• mean
• meaningfully
• purport
• sense
• significant
• speak
• subtext
• subtextually
• what's with something? idiom

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Idioms

be (of) (any/some) use be (of) no use what's the use of...? (Definition of use from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

use | American Dictionary

useverb [ T ] us /juz/

use verb [T] (PUT INTO SERVICE)

Add to word list Add to word list to put something into your service for a purpose: Do you know how to use a computer? We could use your help. She uses so many big words, it’s hard to understand her.

use verb [T] (MAKE IT LESS)

to reduce the amount of something: We have used all the funds in that account.

use verb [T] (ACT SELFISH)

to be friendly toward someone for your own advantage or purposes: She used him to help her get into movies and then discarded him.

usable

adjective us /ˈju·zə·bəl/ able to be used for a purpose: The house needs a lot of work to make it usable.

Idiom

in use

Phrasal verb

use up something usenoun [ C/U ] us /jus/

use noun [C/U] (PUT INTO SERVICE)

If someone or something is of no use, it cannot be of help: [ U ] There’s no use paying for a permit if you won’t need it. [ U ] He was of no use to us because he couldn’t work every day. (Definition of use from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press) What is the pronunciation of use? What is the pronunciation of use to?

Translations of use

in Chinese (Traditional) 目的, 用，使用, 利用… See more in Chinese (Simplified) 目的, 用，使用, 利用… See more in Spanish usar, utilizar, emplear… See more in Portuguese utilizar, usar, gastar… See more in Marathi in Japanese in Turkish in French in Catalan in Dutch in Tamil in Hindi in Gujarati in Danish in Swedish in Malay in German in Norwegian in Urdu in Ukrainian in Russian in Telugu in Arabic in Bengali in Czech in Indonesian in Thai in Vietnamese in Polish in Korean in Italian वापर, वापरणे, वापर करणे… See more ～を使う, （電話など）を借りる, ～を消費する… See more kullanmak, almak, istismar etmek… See more utiliser, se servir de, prendre… See more utilitzar, consumir, ús… See more gebruiken, gebruik, toepassing… See more ஒரு கருவி, திறன் அல்லது கட்டிடம் போன்ற ஒன்றை ஒரு குறிப்பிட்ட நோக்கத்திற்காக வைக்க, எதையாவது சாப்பிடுவதன் மூலமோ… See more (किसी उपकरण, कौशल या भवन को एक विशेष उद्देश्य हेतु) इस्तेमाल करना, (खाकर… See more ઉપયોગ, વપરાશ, ઉપયોગ કરવો… See more bruge, brug, anvendelsesmulighed… See more använda, förbruka, användande… See more menggunakan, penggunaan, kegunaan… See more benutzen, verbrauchen, der Gebrauch… See more bruke, ta, utnytte… See more استعمال ہونا, استعمال کرنا, استعمال کرکے ختم کردینا… See more вживати, користуватися, споживати… See more использовать, расходовать, использовать кого-либо… See more వాడడం, వాడు, ఒక పదాన్ని లేక ఒక వాక్యాన్ని చెప్పడం లేదా రాయడం… See more يَسْتَخْدِم, يَسْتَعْمِل, اِسْتِخْدام… See more ব্যবহার করা, ব্যবহার করে ফেলা, একজন ব্যক্তি বা পরিস্থিতির সুবিধা নেওয়া… See more používat, spotřebovat, použití… See more memakai, menggunakan, penggunaan… See more ใช้, ใช้ประโยชน์, การใช้… See more sử dụng, dùng, tiêu thụ… See more używać, zużywać, wykorzystywać… See more 사용하다, 소모하다, 사용… See more usare, utilizzare, consumare… See more Need a translator?

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USB USB drive USB port USB stick use use a sledgehammer to crack a nut idiom use case use something as collateral use something up phrasal verb {{#randomImageQuizHook.filename}} {{#randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes Try a quiz now {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{^randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.filename}}

More meanings of use

• fair use
• use case
• multi-use
• single-use
• use-by date
• point of use
• in current use

See all meanings

• use up something phrasal verb
• use something up phrasal verb

See all phrasal verb meanings

• in use idiom
• be (of) (any/some) use idiom
• could use idiom
• use your words phrase
• be (of) no use idiom
• it's no use (doing something) idiom
• make use of something phrase

See all idioms and phrases

Word of the Day

V-necked

UK /ˈviː.nekt/ US /ˈviː.nekt/

(of an item of clothing) having a V-shaped opening for the neck

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• English   
  • Verb 
    • use (PURPOSE)
    • use (REDUCE)
    • use (WORD)
    • use (TAKE ADVANTAGE)
    • use (IN THE PAST)
    • use to
  • Noun 
    • use (PURPOSE)
    • make use of something
    • the use of something
    • use (CONSUMPTION)
    • use (WORD)
• American   
  • Verb 
    • use (PUT INTO SERVICE)
    • use (MAKE IT LESS)
    • use (ACT SELFISH)
  • Adjective 
    • usable
  • Noun 
    • use (PUT INTO SERVICE)

• Translations
• Grammar
• All translations

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