maltreat

M3A1L1T1R1E1A1T1
UK/malˈtɹiːt/

verb

To treat badly, to abuse.

Similar
brutalizemistreatabuseill-usestepill-treat
OriginFrench maltraiter →
RareFirst used 18th c.Scrabble 10
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Meanings

verbmaltreat (third-person singular simple present maltreats, present participle maltreating, simple past and past participle maltreated)

present singular third person maltreats · participle present maltreating · participle past maltreated · past maltreated

  1. To treat badly, to abuse.First known use 18th c.

    he received a telegram from the prime minister ordering that on no account were Yacef and Zohra Drif to be maltreated in any way.

    1977, Alistair Horne, A Savage War of Peace, New York Review Books, published 2006, page 217

    Synonyms: brutalize

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo treat badly, to abuse.

Similar
brutalize

More synonyms by meaning

verbtreat badly

Similar
mistreatabuseill-usestepill-treat
Broader
treathandledo by
Also see
abusedisfavourill-treatill-usemanhandlemistreatstep

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Frenchmaltraiter
  2. Englishmaltreat

From mal- + treat, after French maltraiter.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek προυσελέω, αἰκίζω
  • προυσελέω (prouseléō)treat badly
  • αἰκίζω (aikízō)treat badly
  • ἀτέμβω (atémbō)treat badly
Bulgarian малтретирам
  • малтретирам (maltretiram)treat badly
Chinese Mandarin 虐待
  • 虐待 (nüèdài)treat badly
Dutch mishandelen
  • mishandelentreat badly
Esperanto turmenti
  • turmentitreat badly
Finnish kohdella kaltoin
  • kohdella kaltointreat badly
German misshandeln
  • misshandelntreat badly
Greek κακομεταχειρίζομαι, κακοποιώ
  • κακομεταχειρίζομαι (kakometacheirízomai)treat badly
  • κακοποιώ (kakopoió)treat badly
Japanese 虐げる, 差別する
  • 虐げる (shiitageru)treat badly
  • 差別する (sabetsu suru)treat badly
  • 冷遇する (reigū suru)treat badly
Latin violō
  • violōtreat badly
Māori rurerure, tunuhuruhuru
  • rureruretreat badly
  • tunuhuruhurutreat badly
  • tūkinotreat badly
Polish poniewierać, sponiewierać
  • poniewieraćtreat badly
  • sponiewieraćtreat badly
  • maltretowaćtreat badly
  • zmaltretowaćtreat badly
  • znęcać siętreat badly
Portuguese maltratar
  • maltratartreat badly
Russian пло́хо обраща́ться
  • пло́хо обраща́ться (plóxo obraščátʹsja)treat badly
Turkish zulmetmek
  • zulmetmektreat badly
Vietnamese bạc đãi, ngược đãi
  • bạc đãitreat badly
  • ngược đãitreat badly
Cite this entry
APA

maltreat. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maltreat

MLA

“maltreat.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maltreat. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “maltreat,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maltreat.

Source: maltreat on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.