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

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Etymology

Origin of ill-treat

First recorded in 1695–1705

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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

"Do you really think I ill-treat my wife?"

From Who? by Elizabeth Kent

I care for their marches, for their wants and food, and protect their women and boys if they ill-treat them; and I do nothing of this.

From General Gordon A Christian Hero by Seton Churchill

Only that he had been merciful, this young lord would not have been able to scorn him and ill-treat him as he had done.

From Marion Fay by Anthony Trollope

“Then I wish somebody would ill-treat me along that line,” I interjected.

From The Prairie Child by Ward. E. F. (Edmund Franklin)

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