mishandle
Americanverb (used with object)
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to handle badly; maltreat.
to mishandle a dog.
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to manage badly.
to mishandle an estate.
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to lose or misplace.
to mishandle baggage.
verb
Other Word Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have mishandledperfect
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has mishandledperfect 3rd person singular
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is mishandlingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are mishandlingprogressive
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mishandlingparticiple
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have been mishandlingperfect progressive
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has been mishandlingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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mishandlessingular 3rd person
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am mishandlingprogressive 1st person singular
Past
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had mishandledperfect
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had been mishandlingperfect progressive
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mishandledparticiple
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was mishandlingprogressive singular
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were mishandlingprogressive plural
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mishandledsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of mishandle
Explanation
When you mishandle something, you make a mess of it. For example, a teacher who mishandles a classroom loses control of his students. An entrepreneur who mishandles an important meeting at her bank might have lost an opportunity to borrow money for her business, and a dog trainer who mishandles an aggressive dog might end up getting bitten. When you handle something, you deal with it, and when you add the Old English prefix mis-, it means that you've dealt with it in a "wrong" or "bad" way.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On cold tires, cars like the Ferrari don’t handle; they mishandle.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 6, 2025
An independent investigation found that Wada did not mishandle the case or show bias towards the Chinese swimmers.
From BBC • Jul. 31, 2024
Then there was Hockenson’s mishandle of a hard throw from Kirk Cousins into the end zone near the end of the game.
From Washington Times • Sep. 27, 2023
Davis will be the kick returner to open the regular season, although he did mishandle a punt in the Chargers’ second preseason game, the ball eventually going out of bounds.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 24, 2023
So they said they had thought I was the ghost that dwelt in that deserted court, and if any came too near to him was wont to mishandle them miserably.
From The Adventurous Simplicissimus being the description of the Life of a Strange vagabond named Melchior Sternfels von Fuchshaim by Grimmelshausen, Hans Jacob Christoph von
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
