Synonyms

mishandle

American

[mis-han-dl] / mɪsˈhæn dl /

verb (used with object)

mishandled, mishandling

to handle badly; maltreat.

to mishandle a dog.
to manage badly.

to mishandle an estate.
to lose or misplace.

to mishandle baggage.

mishandle British

/ ˌmɪsˈhændəl /

verb

(tr) to handle or treat badly or inefficiently

"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

Etymology

Origin of mishandle

First recorded in 1490–1500; mis- ¹ + handle

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Solar panels are mostly recyclable, made of glass, aluminium, silver, and polymers - but trace toxic metals like lead and cadmium can pollute soil and water if mishandled.

From BBC

Experts, including two elected South Carolina coroners, said Spivey’s body appeared to have been illegally mishandled.

From The Wall Street Journal

The summary explains that “very little has been developed related to who might be culpable for mishandling documents.”

From The Wall Street Journal

His performance in office has been anything but impressive, with stories of his bumbling the early days of the Charlie Kirk investigation and his mishandling of the Epstein files.

From Salon

Committee chair Matt Western warned mishandling similar future cases will "corrode public trust".

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023