Collocations with abuse

abuse noun

1-) insulting or rude words

ADJECTIVES

personal 
・He faced personal abuse from online trolls.

racial, racist 
・She experienced racial abuse at school yesterday.

VERBS

shout, scream, hurl, shower with, subject to, yell 
・The referee was showered with abuse from the angry fans.
・The politician was not prepared for the public to hurl so much abuse.

PHRASES

heap abuse on
・It's unfair to heap abuse on someone without knowing the full story.

a term of abuse
・"Liar" is often used as a term of abuse in arguments.

a torrent/stream of abuse 
・He remained calm facing a stream of abuse from his critics.

a target for/of abuse
・Her vulnerability made her a target for abuse.

2-) harmful or violent treatment 

ADJECTIVES

physical
・She reported the physical abuse to the authorities.

verbal 
・He endured years of verbal abuse.

domestic 
・Domestic abuse is a serious issue in many households.

sexual
・They raised awareness about sexual abuse last year.

emotional, psychological
・She suffered emotional abuse in her previous relationship.

alleged, suspected 
They decided to seek counseling due to the suspected abuse.

VERBS

suffer, experience, endure, take
・No one should suffer abuse in any form.
・Many children have to endure bullying and abuse in school.

be subjected to, carry out
・Some people are afraid to speak up when they are subjected to abuse.

suspect sb of 
・If you suspect someone of abuse, report it immediately.

ABUSE + VERB
happen, occur, take place
・His confession confirmed that the abuse took place in their home.

NOUNS

child 
・Child abuse can have lifelong consequences.

wife
・She finally left her husband due to wife abuse.

elder
・Elder abuse is a serious problem in nursing homes.

human rights 
The international community condemns human rights abuse.

PHRASES

a victim of abuse
・The elderly man had been a victim of financial abuse.

an allegation of abuse 
・There is an allegation of physical abuse against the caregiver.

a perpetrator of abuse 
・The court is examining the evidence against the perpetrator of domestic abuse.

3-) the use of something in a wrong or harmful way 

NOUNS

drug, alcohol
・He sought help to overcome his alcohol abuse.

substance 
・Substance abuse can affect anyone, regardless of their background.

solvent
・They're raising awareness about the dangers of solvent abuse.

ADJECTIVES

widespread 
・The scandal exposed the widespread abuse of funds within the organization.

flagrant 
・The flagrant abuse of the environment is causing irreversible damage.

PHRASES

the abuse of power
・The documentary shed light on the abuse of power by corporate giants.

be open to abuse
・The flexibility of the system is open to abuse by dishonest individuals.