酷こく使し

こ

く

し

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

酷使する · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Meanings

Using a person, body part, or resource too hard or too much, often causing harm or strain. Common with 体, 目, 人, 機械, etc.

〈物もの〉を酷こく使しするto overwork or strain a body part, machine, etc.
パソコンの作さ業ぎょうばかりで目めを酷こく使ししている。
I've been straining my eyes from doing nothing but computer work.
〈人ひと〉を酷こく使しするto work someone excessively hard, exploiting their labor
この会かい社しゃは従じゅう業ぎょう員いんを酷こく使ししていると批ひ判はんされている。
This company is criticized for overworking its employees.
酷こく使しに耐たえるto withstand heavy or prolonged use/strain
この機き械かいは何なん年ねんもの酷こく使しに耐たえてきた。
This machine has withstood years of hard use.

乱らん用ようN1
酷使 means working a person, body part, or machine too hard until it strains or breaks down, while 乱用 means misusing something like power, drugs, or trust.
使つかいすぎ
使いすぎ is a casual, everyday word for using something too much, while 酷使 is more formal and stresses harmful strain on a person or thing.
過か重じゅう労ろう働どう
過重労働 specifically refers to excessive work hours or labor conditions imposed on employees, while 酷使 is broader and can apply to a body part, machine, or resource as well as a person.

愛あい護ご
酷使 means treating a person, animal, or thing harshly through overwork, while 愛護 means treating it with care and protection.

駆く使しN1
酷使 (こくし) means working something or someone too hard in a way that causes harm, while 駆使 (くし) means skillfully making full use of something, such as a language or tool, with a positive nuance.

Compound of 酷 (severe, harsh) and 使 (use). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the meaning follows naturally from the kanji.