mindmap root((使用)) use implies availing oneself of something as a means or instrument to an end: willing to ~ any means to achieve her goals. employ suggests the using of a person or thing that is available but idle, inactive, or disengaged by putting him, her, or it to some work or profitable activity: your time might have been better ~ed by reading. utilize may suggest the discovery of a new, profitable, or practical use for something that might be overlooked or wasted: meat processors ~ every part of the animal. apply stresses the bringing of one thing into contact or relation with something else in such a way that it proves useful or acquires practical value: ~ied specific rules to the situation.