maltreat

American  

[mal-treet] / mælˈtrit /

verb (used with object)

1. to treat or handle badly, cruelly, or roughly; abuse.

   to maltreat a prisoner.

   Synonyms:

   injure, mistreat

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maltreat British  

/ mælˈtriːt /

verb

1. (tr) to treat badly, cruelly, or inconsiderately

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Other Word Forms

• maltreater noun
• maltreatment noun

Etymology

Origin of maltreat

First recorded in 1700–10; earlier maltrait, from French maltraiter; mal-, treat

Explanation

If you maltreat someone, you treat them very badly. It's best not to maltreat your little sister — she may grow up to be bigger, stronger, and smarter than you. Also, it's just not very nice. If you're cruel to someone on purpose, you maltreat them. You can also say abuse or mistreat. If a big company maltreats its workers, they may rebel by going on strike or joining a lawsuit. This verb combines the prefix mal-, "badly, poorly, or wrong," and the word treat, from the Latin root tractare, "manage or handle."

Example Sentences

Bosses and colleagues who maltreat subordinates with ridicule or lack of consideration are as common as the companies who protect them.

From Salon • Jan. 22, 2022

“How can you maltreat such a beautiful woman?” he was said to have asked the errant husband.

From The Guardian • Mar. 14, 2019

Perhaps the subtlest of all his comic achievements is his parody of the way in which many people from his own proletarian background maltreat the culture they so earnestly desire to achieve.

From Time Magazine Archive

There the President became a member of the Arctic Brotherhood and took an oath never to maltreat horse or dog.

From Time Magazine Archive

It was contrary to all the homely traditions at the farm to kill or maltreat a toad.

From When Life Was Young At the Old Farm in Maine by Stephens, C. A. (Charles Asbury)

Related Words

• victimize