maltreat

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

verb (used with object)

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

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Origin of maltreat

1700–10; earlier maltrait<French maltraiter.See mal-, treat

OTHER WORDS FROM maltreat

mal·treat·er, nounmal·treat·ment, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH maltreat

maltreatment , mistreatment.

Words nearby maltreat

malting, malt liquor, maltodextrin, maltol, maltose, maltreat, malt shop, maltster, malt whisky, malty, Maluku
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to maltreat

victimize, misuse, harm, damage, mishandle, injure

Example sentences from the Web for maltreat

British Dictionary definitions for maltreat

maltreat
/ (mælˈtriːt) /

verb

(tr) to treat badly, cruelly, or inconsiderately

Derived forms of maltreat

maltreater, 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