ill-treat

[il-treet]

verb (used with object)

1. to treat badly; maltreat; abuse.

ill-treat

verb

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

Other Word Forms

• ill-treatment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ill-treat¹

First recorded in 1695–1705

Example Sentences

He has also been charged with 20 counts of assault, ill-treat, neglect, abandon a child, young person to cause unnecessary suffering, injury.

From BBC

The 25-year-old, of Pearl Street in Stockport, who pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court to four counts of wilfully ill-treating children, is the second worker from the nursery to be jailed.

From BBC

The court heard she had already been banned from keeping animals after being convicted in December 2023 of ill-treating horses, chickens and ducks.

From BBC

While Dita anxiously seeks treatment options, the more abrasive Suada accuses her doctor of ill-treating patients who, like her, belong to the maligned ethnic group known as Roma.

From New York Times

Wilmot was convicted of encouraging Hudson to ill-treat a patient and also pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal medication from the hospital.

From BBC