treat
Americanverb (used with object)
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treats,
present (3rd person singular)
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treated,
past participle, past
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treating
present participle
-
to act or behave toward (a person) in some specified way.
to treat someone with respect.
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to consider or regard in a specified way, and deal with accordingly.
to treat a matter as unimportant.
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to deal with (a disease, patient, etc.) in order to relieve or cure.
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to deal with in speech or writing; discuss.
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to deal with, develop, or represent artistically, especially in some specified manner or style.
to treat a theme realistically.
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to subject to some agent or action in order to bring about a particular result.
to treat a substance with an acid.
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to entertain; give hospitality to.
He treats diplomats in the lavish surroundings of his country estate.
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to provide food, entertainment, gifts, etc., at one's own expense.
Let me treat you to dinner.
verb (used without object)
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treats,
present (3rd person singular)
-
treated,
past participle, past
-
treating
present participle
-
to deal with a subject in speech or writing; discourse.
a work that treats of the caste system in India.
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to give, or bear the expense of, a treat.
Is it my turn to treat?
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to carry on negotiations with a view to a settlement; discuss terms of settlement; negotiate.
noun
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treats
plural
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entertainment, food, drink, etc., given by way of compliment or as an expression of friendly regard.
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anything that affords particular pleasure or enjoyment.
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the act of treating.
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one's turn to treat.
noun
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a celebration, entertainment, gift, or feast given for or to someone and paid for by another
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any delightful surprise or specially pleasant occasion
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the act of treating
verb
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(tr) to deal with or regard in a certain manner
she treats school as a joke
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(tr) to apply treatment to
to treat a patient for malaria
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(tr) to subject to a process or to the application of a substance
to treat photographic film with developer
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(tr; often foll by to) to provide (someone) (with) as a treat
he treated the children to a trip to the zoo
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formal to deal (with), as in writing or speaking
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formal (intr) to discuss settlement; negotiate
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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treaternoun
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overtreatverb
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nontreatedadjective
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self-treatedadjective
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treatableadjective
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untreatedadjective
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well-treatedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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treatsimple
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treatssimple
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have treatedperfect
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has treatedperfect
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am treatingprogressive
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are treatingprogressive
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is treatingprogressive
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have been treatingperfect progressive
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has been treatingperfect progressive
Past
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treatedsimple
-
had treatedperfect
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was treatingprogressive
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were treatingprogressive
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had been treatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of treat
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English verb treten, from Old French tretier, traitier, from Latin tractāre “to drag, handle, treat,” frequentative of trahere “to drag”; see tract 1
Explanation
If you've been working hard and living thriftily for months on end, give yourself a treat: take the night off and go out to dinner and a movie. One sense of treat has to do with pleasures and special occasions. You might treat your mother to a pedicure, or give your dog a tasty treat. Treat can also mean "to carry on negotiations," (the meaning that feeds into treaty), or "to take care of." A doctor treats your illness with medication. If you treat a boy as an adult, that means you act as though he is one, even if he's only 16. Treat him carefully!
Vocabulary lists containing treat
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"Water at Work"
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"On the Menu" and "Find the Adaptations"
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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.
See Examples For:
I learned you can say how you treat everyone the same, but you approach some kids differently.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
In 2025, during a clinical trial of CAR T-cell therapy, a technique currently used to treat some types of leukaemia and lymphoma, Maya developed a brain injury which Dellanie said left her "profoundly disabled".
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
Tumors that return following radiation therapy are often more aggressive and more difficult to treat.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
“The IPO really gave us the confidence to treat that stake as real capital,” Aggrey said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
No matter what his family wanted, Elisha couldn’t treat Maggie like a sister or a friend.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
He provides, treats me right and is loyal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
For what it’s worth, Medicaid treats a person’s primary residence as an exempt asset when determining eligibility for many Medicaid programs, although the rules vary significantly by state.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
Dietitians who watched Oreo-gate unfold offered a more nuanced view than simply casting parents who restrict treats as overbearing—or those who don’t as negligent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Public discussion often treats science as though communities either agree or disagree.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026
“Here, kitty kitty kitty...Yummy treats for you, Flabby Tabby!”
From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth
Kent Police said the blaze was being treated as suspicious and has appealed for witnesses.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
“We need help for all workers. We’re human beings, but, honestly, we aren’t treated like human beings.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
That creates particular risks for family members, caregivers, and health workers, especially when patients are being treated in hospitals without adequate infection control.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
Earl Spencer has told the BBC that there are similarities between the way his sister Diana, Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been treated by the press.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
Every other firm treated them as a joke.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Instead of relying only on treating an entire structure, researchers are trying to exploit the insects' own biology, social behavior, feeding habits, and even their microbial traces.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
Announcing the move last November, Minister of Social Development Nokuzola Sisisi Tolashe said treating the issue as a national disaster would help the government tackle the crisis.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Lansing fire chief Carrie Edwards-Clemons recalled Americans treating one another with “respect, compassion, and love that carried us through the days after 9/11.”
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Much of the confusion about AI oversight comes from treating all decisions alike when the possibility and cost of reversing them differ enormously.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
She stayed there the rest of the day, resting and treating herself to baths.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
