verb
To make use of
To make a practice of; now only in the past tense with an infinitive
To behave toward
use implies the putting of a thing (or, usually in an opprobrious sense, a person regarded as a passive thing) into action or service so as to accomplish an end to use a pencil, a suggestion, etc.; he used his brother to advance himself; employ, a somewhat more elevated term, implies the putting to useful work of something not in use at that moment to employ a vacant lot as a playground and, with reference to persons, suggests a providing of work and pay she employs five accountants; utilize implies the putting of something to a practical or profitable use to utilize chemical byproducts
noun
The act of using
The state of being useful
See use in Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus II
To put into action or use:
actuate, apply, employ, exercise, exploit, implement, practice, utilize. Idioms: avail oneself of, bring into play, bring to bear, make use of, put into practice, put to use. See usedTo control or direct the functioning of:
manage, operate, run, work. See controlTo take advantage of unfairly:
abuse, exploit, impose, presume. See treat wellTo use all of:
consume, drain, draw down, eat up, exhaust, expend, finish, play out, run through, spend. (Informal) polish off. See increaseTo lessen or weaken severely, as by removing something essential:
deplete, drain, exhaust, impoverish, sap2. See give, increase, richThe act of putting into play:
application, employment, exercise, exertion, implementation, operation, play, usage, utilization. See usedThe condition of being put to use:
application, duty, employment, service, utilization. See usedA quantity consumed:
consumption, usage. See give, usedThe quality of being suitable or adaptable to an end:
account, advantage, avail, benefit, profit, usefulness, utility. See usedA habitual way of behaving:
consuetude, custom, habit, habitude, manner, practice, praxis, usage, usance, way, wont. See usualSee use in American Heritage Dictionary 4 Synonyms
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