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definitions

maltreat

[ mal-treet ]
/ mælˈtrit /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR maltreat ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to treat or handle badly, cruelly, or roughly; abuse: to maltreat a prisoner.

RELATED WORDS

victimize, misuse, harm, damage, mishandle, injure

Nearby words

  1. malthusianism,
  2. malting,
  3. maltodextrin,
  4. maltol,
  5. maltose,
  6. maltreatment,
  7. maltster,
  8. malty,
  9. maluku,
  10. malunion

Origin of maltreat

1700–10; earlier maltrait < French maltraiter. See mal-, treat
Related formsmal·treat·er, nounmal·treat·ment, noun
Can be confusedmaltreatment mistreatment
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for maltreat

British Dictionary definitions for maltreat

maltreat

/ (mælˈtriːt) /

verb

(tr) to treat badly, cruelly, or inconsiderately
Derived Formsmaltreater, nounmaltreatment, noun

Word Origin for maltreat

C18: from French maltraiter
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for maltreat

maltreat

v.

1708, from French maltraiter, or formed in English from mal- + treat (v.). Related: Maltreated; maltreating.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper