abuse

Abuse is touching or acting towards someone in a way that will likely hurt them.

Example: The girls suffered terrible physical and sexual abuse from their father.

An abuse is an act of using something in the wrong way.

If you abuse something, you misuse it; you use something improperly.

If you abuse something, you injure it; you hurt it; you treat it with cruelty or damage it.

If you abuse somebody, you rape them; you assault them.