maltreat
verb
mal·treat ˌmal-ˈtrēt 
maltreated; maltreating; maltreats
transitive verb
: to treat cruelly or roughly : abuse
maltreater
ˌmal-ˈtrē-tər
noun maltreatment
ˌmal-ˈtrēt-mənt
noun 
Synonyms
- abuse
- brutalize
- bully
- ill-treat
- ill-use
- kick around
- manhandle
- mess over [slang]
- mishandle
- mistreat
- misuse
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
a manager fired for maltreating the staff with needless insults if you maltreat the puppy, we will take it away immediately
Recent Examples on the Web Coincidentally, a landmark incident that led to the death of a Nigerian happened in 2009 in Guangzhou, where Nigerians were recently maltreated. 
Abdul-gafar Tobi Oshodi, Quartz Africa, 31 May 2020 Youngsters who live in neighborhoods with more bars or liquor stores are more likely to be maltreated. Kunmi Sobowale, Scientific American, 1 July 2017 Youngsters who live in neighborhoods with more bars or liquor stores are more likely to be maltreated. Kunmi Sobowale, Scientific American, 1 July 2017 Youngsters who live in neighborhoods with more bars or liquor stores are more likely to be maltreated. Kunmi Sobowale, Scientific American, 1 July 2017 Youngsters who live in neighborhoods with more bars or liquor stores are more likely to be maltreated. Kunmi Sobowale, Scientific American, 1 July 2017 Youngsters who live in neighborhoods with more bars or liquor stores are more likely to be maltreated. Kunmi Sobowale, Scientific American, 1 July 2017 Youngsters who live in neighborhoods with more bars or liquor stores are more likely to be maltreated. Kunmi Sobowale, Scientific American, 1 July 2017 Youngsters who live in neighborhoods with more bars or liquor stores are more likely to be maltreated. Kunmi Sobowale, Scientific American, 1 July 2017 See More
Abdul-gafar Tobi Oshodi, Quartz Africa, 31 May 2020 Youngsters who live in neighborhoods with more bars or liquor stores are more likely to be maltreated. Kunmi Sobowale, Scientific American, 1 July 2017 Youngsters who live in neighborhoods with more bars or liquor stores are more likely to be maltreated. Kunmi Sobowale, Scientific American, 1 July 2017 Youngsters who live in neighborhoods with more bars or liquor stores are more likely to be maltreated. Kunmi Sobowale, Scientific American, 1 July 2017 Youngsters who live in neighborhoods with more bars or liquor stores are more likely to be maltreated. Kunmi Sobowale, Scientific American, 1 July 2017 Youngsters who live in neighborhoods with more bars or liquor stores are more likely to be maltreated. Kunmi Sobowale, Scientific American, 1 July 2017 Youngsters who live in neighborhoods with more bars or liquor stores are more likely to be maltreated. Kunmi Sobowale, Scientific American, 1 July 2017 Youngsters who live in neighborhoods with more bars or liquor stores are more likely to be maltreated. Kunmi Sobowale, Scientific American, 1 July 2017 See More Word History
Etymology
partial translation of French maltraiter, from Middle French, from mal- + traiter to treat, from Old French traitier — more at treat entry 1
First Known Use
1708, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
maltreat
verb
mal·treat mal-ˈtrēt
maltreated; maltreating
: to treat in a rough or unkind way : abuse
maltreats
verb
1
as in abuses
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon a manager fired for maltreating the staff with needless insults a home for children who have been deprived and maltreated Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- abuses
- bullies
- tortures
- mistreats
- injures
- oppresses
- brutalizes
- persecutes
- violates
- misuses
- manhandles
- hurts
- ill-treats
- molests
- mishandles
- harasses
- torments
- ill-uses
- outrages
- messes over
- takes apart
- victimizes
- harms
- kicks around
- wrongs
- sandbags
- burns
- works (over)
- beats (up)
- roughs (up)
- messes (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- cares (for)
- fosters
- cherishes
- nurtures
- caters (to)
- babies
- gratifies
- pampers
- indulges
- favors
- mollycoddles
- spoils
- humors
- coddles
2
as in tortures
to abuse physically if you maltreat the puppy, we will take it away immediately Synonyms & Similar Words
- abuses
- tortures
- attacks
- mauls
- ambushes
- injures
- mistreats
- mishandles
- manhandles
- beats
- persecutes
- hurts
- wounds
- wrestles
- slaps
- misuses
- ill-treats
- pummels
- oppresses
- batters
- harms
- licks
- thrashes
- roughs (up)
- torments
- roughhouses
- pommels
- fights
- drubs
- buffets
- bashes
- assails
- knocks
- wrongs
- ill-uses
- lambastes
- pounds
- clobbers
- hits
- lambasts
- jumps
- gangs up (on)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- caresses
- pets
- fondles
- pampers
- mollycoddles
- coddles
- cares (for)
- fosters
- nurtures
- anatexis
- anath
- anathema
- anathemas
- anathemata
- anathematic
- anathematical
- anathematically
- anathematisation
- anathematisations
- anathematise
- anathematised
- anathematises
- anathematising
- anathematism
- anathematization
- anathematizations
- anathematize
- anathematized
- anathematizes
- anathematizing
- anathemize
- anathemized
- anathemizeed
- anathemizeing