abusar
“abusar” means “to take advantage of” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to take advantage of
Also: to misuse
📝 In Action
No debes abusar de su confianza.
A2You shouldn't take advantage of her trust.
Muchos políticos abusan de su poder.
B1Many politicians misuse their power.
Si abusas de los videojuegos, no tendrás tiempo para estudiar.
B1If you overdo it with video games, you won't have time to study.
to overindulge
Also: to go overboard
📝 In Action
No es bueno abusar del alcohol.
B1It is not good to overindulge in alcohol.
He abusado un poco de los dulces esta Navidad.
B1I've gone a bit overboard with the sweets this Christmas.
Si abusas del café, no podrás dormir.
A2If you drink too much coffee, you won't be able to sleep.
Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Indicative
Preterite
Imperfect
Present
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: abusar
Question 1 of 3
How do you say 'to take advantage of her kindness'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From Latin 'abusare', which comes from 'ab-' (away/wrongly) and 'uti' (to use). Literally, to use something the wrong way.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'abusar' always a negative word?
Generally, yes. It implies that a limit has been crossed, whether it's a social boundary, a health limit, or a legal one.
Does 'abusar' mean physical violence like in English?
While it can refer to sexual or emotional abuse, physical hitting is more commonly described as 'maltratar' (to mistreat) or 'golpear' (to hit).
Is it a regular verb?
Yes! It follows the standard -ar verb patterns for all tenses.