USING
What does "USING" mean?
The present participle of 'use': employing something as a means or tool to achieve an end.
Meanings
- Present participle of 'use': putting something into service or action. She fixed the shelf using only a screwdriver and tape.
- Exploiting a person for one's own advantage. He realized too late that she had just been using him. informal
- Taking illegal drugs habitually. The counselor asked how long he had been using. informal
Word origin
Present participle of 'use', from Old French 'user', from Latin 'usus', past participle of 'uti' ('to use, employ').
Remember it
USING = USE + ING: the action of 'use' caught in the act, still happening now.
A little poem
The hammer learns the hand that holds it tight-
we shape the tools we're using, day and night.
couplet
Wordplay
- The carpenter and the con artist both swore they were using their best tools. Only one meant a hammer.
What it teaches
Watch the difference between using a thing and using a person; one builds, the other empties.
Quick facts
What does USING mean?
The present participle of 'use': employing something as a means or tool to achieve an end.
Is USING a valid word?
Yes — USING is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is USING?
USING has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does USING come from?
Present participle of 'use', from Old French 'user', from Latin 'usus', past participle of 'uti' ('to use, employ').
What can USING teach us?
Watch the difference between using a thing and using a person; one builds, the other empties.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.