ill-treat

American  

[il-treet] / ˈɪlˈtrit /

verb (used with object)

1. to treat badly; maltreat; abuse.

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ill-treat British  

verb

1. (tr) to behave cruelly or harshly towards; misuse; maltreat

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Other Word Forms

• ill-treatment
  noun

Etymology

Origin of ill-treat

First recorded in 1695–1705

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ill-treat

In these quotations, to vanquish foes and destroy enemies does not mean to ill-treat others in any way, or even to seek victory over them in a traditional sense.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 11, 2019

As such, the latter revered him and did not ill-treat him in their own country, where they carried him.

From The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 29 of 55 Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century by Various

Above stairs, all was confusion and alarm, and a number of the guests were seeking the villain who had dared to insult or ill-treat the young countess.

From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 56, Number 350, December 1844 by Various

Oh, if they ill-treat you," cried the little one warmly, "only call Tausdorf to your help, he'll soon send them about their business!

From Specimens of German Romance Vol. I. The Patricians by Velde, Carl Franz van der

They did not plunder or ill-treat the people, but they cared nothing for town life or for agricultural pursuits, and as they passed onward they left the country bare.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 7 "Arundel, Thomas" to "Athens" by Various