maltreat

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˌmælˈtriːt/ UK /ˌmælˈtriːt/ See IPA manual

Freq #120723

Meanings

1

verb
to treat a person or animal cruelly, violently, or without proper care

The shelter prosecuted the owner for maltreating the neglected animals.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to treat a person or animal... mistreat abuseill-treat

More brutalize

Opposites

protectcare fortreat well

Word family

Forms maltreated

Derived forms maltreatmentmaltreater

Related forms treat cruelty neglect

Etymology

Modeled on French maltraiter, 'to treat badly,' and formed in English from mal-, 'badly,' + treat. The same negative prefix appears in malfunction and malpractice; maltreatment is the corresponding noun.

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

markdown