Abuse vs. Neglect — What's the Difference?

Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other types of aggression.

In the context of caregiving, neglect is a form of abuse where the perpetrator, who is responsible for caring for someone who is unable to care for themselves, fails to do so. It can be a result of carelessness, indifference, or unwillingness and abuse.Neglect may include the failure to provide sufficient supervision, nourishment, or medical care, or the failure to fulfill other needs for which the victim cannot provide themselves.

To use improperly or excessively; misuse

To pay little or no attention to; fail to heed; disregard

To hurt or injure by maltreatment; ill-use

To fail to care for or attend to properly

To force sexual activity on; rape or molest.

To fail to do or carry out, as through carelessness or oversight

To assail with insulting or hurtful words; revile.

The act or an instance of neglecting something

(Obsolete) To deceive or trick.

The state or fact of being neglected

Improper or excessive use; misuse

Habitual lack of care

Rough treatment or use

(transitive) To fail to care for or attend to something.

Physical maltreatment or violence

(transitive) To omit to notice; to forbear to treat with attention or respect; to slight.

Sexual abuse.

(transitive) To fail to do or carry out something due to oversight or carelessness.

Insulting or hurtful language, especially when used to threaten or demoralize

To ignore for the sake of simplifying calculations without significantly affecting accuracy.

An unjust or wrongful practice

The act of neglecting.

Improper treatment or usage; application to a wrong or bad purpose; an unjust, corrupt or wrongful practice or custom.

The state of being neglected.

Misuse; improper use; perversion.

Habitual lack of care.

(obsolete) A delusion; an imposture; misrepresentation; deception.

Not to attend to with due care or attention; to forbear one's duty in regard to; to allow to pass unimproved, unheeded, undone, etc.; to omit; to disregard; to slight; as, to neglect duty or business; to neglect to pay debts.

Coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; language that unjustly or angrily vilifies.

To omit to notice; to forbear to treat with attention or respect; to slight; as, to neglect strangers.

Catachresis.

Omission of proper attention; avoidance or disregard of duty, from heedlessness, indifference, or willfulness; failure to do, use, or heed anything; culpable disregard; as, neglect of business, of health, of economy.

Physical maltreatment; injury; cruel treatment.

Omission of attention or civilities; slight; as, neglect of strangers.

Violation; defilement; rape; forcing of undesired sexual activity by one person on another, often on a repeated basis.

Habitual carelessness; negligence.

(transitive) To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to use improperly; to misuse; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert

The state of being disregarded, slighted, or neglected.

(transitive) To injure; to maltreat; to hurt; to treat with cruelty, especially repeatedly.

Lack of attention and due care

(transitive) To attack with coarse language; to insult; to revile; malign; to speak in an offensive manner to or about someone; to disparage.

The state of something that has been unused and neglected;

(transitive) To imbibe a drug for a purpose other than it was intended; to intentionally take more of a drug than was prescribed for recreational reasons; to take illegal drugs habitually.

Willful lack of care and attention

To violate; defile; to rape; (reflexive) to masturbate.

The trait of neglecting responsibilities and lacking concern

Misrepresent; adulterate.

Failure to act with the prudence that a reasonable person would exercise under the same circumstances

To deceive; to trick; to impose on; misuse the confidence of.

Leave undone or leave out;

Disuse.

Fail to do something; leave something undone;

To put to a wrong use; to misapply; to misuse; to put to a bad use; to use for a wrong purpose or end; to pervert; as, to abuse inherited gold; to make an excessive use of; as, to abuse one's authority.

Fail to attend to;

To use ill; to maltreat; to act injuriously to; to punish or to tax excessively; to hurt; as, to abuse prisoners, to abuse one's powers, one's patience.

Give little or no attention to;

To revile; to reproach coarsely; to disparage.

To dishonor.

To violate; to ravish.

To deceive; to impose on.

Improper treatment or use; application to a wrong or bad purpose; misuse; as, an abuse of our natural powers; an abuse of civil rights, or of privileges or advantages; an abuse of language.

Physical ill treatment; injury.

A corrupt practice or custom; offense; crime; fault; as, the abuses in the civil service.

Vituperative words; coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; virulent condemnation; reviling.

Violation; rape; as, abuse of a female child.

Cruel or inhumane treatment

A rude expression intended to offend or hurt;

Improper or excessive use

Treat badly;

Change the inherent purpose or function of something;

Use foul or abusive language towards;