滥用

• Pinyin: làn yòng
• Hanzi breakdown: 滥 = 氵(water) + 监 (oversee) — overflow/excessive; 用 = use

Meaning

To abuse; to misuse. Using something excessively or improperly.

Often used with 权力 (power), 药物 (drugs), 资源 (resources). Implies using something beyond appropriate limits or for improper purposes.

Examples

1. 滥用职权是严重的违纪行为。 Abuse of power is a serious disciplinary violation.
2. 医生警告不要滥用抗生素。 The doctor warned against the misuse of antibiotics.
3. 滥用自然资源会导致生态危机。 Overexploitation of natural resources will lead to ecological crisis.

Usage Guide

Context: law, medicine, ethics

Tone: critical

Do Say

• 他被指控滥用公款。(He was accused of misusing public funds.)
• 滥用权力必将受到惩罚。(Abuse of power will be punished.)

Don't Say

• 用滥用描述正常的使用。(滥用 implies improper/excessive use — use 使用 for normal use)

Origin & History

Compound of 滥 (excessive/overflow) + 用 (use). 滥 originally meant flooding — excess beyond proper limits.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal