Home / Dictionary / Used

Used Very Common

Used has 5 different meanings across 1 category:

Adjective

Definitions
Verb
1

simple past tense and past participle of use

"I used my old bike to get to work yesterday, but now I take the bus instead."

In plain English: To use something means to make it work for a purpose or to get value from it.

"She used her phone to call her mother while waiting for the bus."

Adjective
1

employed in accomplishing something

"the principle of surprise is the most used and misused of all the principles of war"

2

(of persons) taken advantage of

"after going out of his way to help his friend get the job he felt not appreciated but used"

3

previously used or owned by another

"bought a secondhand (or used) car"

4

That is or has or have been used.

"The old wooden chair looked comfortable but was clearly used, showing signs of years of daily sitting."

In plain English: Used means something that has been owned, touched, or worn by someone before and is no longer new.

"The car looks brand new, but the engine is used."

Usage: Use this adjective to describe an item that shows signs of wear from previous use, such as faded colors or scratches on the surface. It often appears in phrases like "second-hand goods" or "pre-owned vehicles," but avoid confusing it with the past tense verb form when describing a completed action.

Example Sentences
"The car looks brand new, but the engine is used." adj
"She used her phone to call her mother while waiting for the bus." verb
"She used her phone to call for help during the storm." verb
"The old man used his crutch to walk across the room." verb
"They used the last of their savings to buy a new car." verb
Related Terms
Antonyms
misused

Origin

The word used comes from Middle English as a combination of the verb use and the past tense suffix -ed. It entered English with the same meaning it holds today, describing an action that has been performed in the past.

Rhyming Words
sed rised tased assed hosed cased fused arsed lysed bused wised based nosed posed eased losed mused dosed lapsed leased
Compare
Used vs