maltreat
verb (used with object)
to treat or handle badly, cruelly, or roughly; abuse.
was maltreating
-
past progressiveof maltreat.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Two years ago Mrs. McLaughlin heard that a Morton Grove farmer named William Schroeder was maltreating his hogs.
From Time Magazine Archive
With more anger than accuracy, some newspapers charged that a platoon of U.S. paratroopers was maltreating Mexicans on Mexican soil.
From Time Magazine Archive
Good heavens!" he cried, stung by the way fate was maltreating him, "I have never experienced anything like this before.
From The Adventures of Sally by P. G. (Pelham Grenville) Wodehouse
