The word 滥用 is formed by combining the character 滥, which carries the meaning of "excessive", "flood-like", or "without restraint", with the character 用, which means "to use". The formation is a direct conceptual blend: the first character modifies the action of the second, so the core meaning emerges as "to use excessively" or "to use without proper limits", resulting in the sense of "to misuse" or "to abuse".