ill-treat

verb

ˈil-ˈtrēt How to pronounce ill-treat (audio)
Definition of ill-treatnext
as in to abuse
to inflict physical or emotional harm upon anyone who ill-treats their pets should not be allowed to have any

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-treat
  1. abuse
  2. mistreat
  3. maltreat
  4. bully
  5. torture
Verb
  • The University of Chicago has long abused its architectural treasures.
    Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 15 Dec. 2024
  • On Tuesday, lawmakers approved a special counsel to investigate whether Yoon committed insurrection and abused his power by issuing martial law.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN, 14 Dec. 2024
Definition of abuse
Verb
  • Additionally, there is no central registry for uncertified school employees who have abused or mistreated students.
    Nolan McKendry | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 16 Dec. 2024
  • Some breeders have been accused of mistreating the dogs or doping them.
    Rachel Raposas, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of mistreat
Verb
  • Lie number 2: Israel has been oppressing and maltreating Palestinians (and denying them a state) for 75 years.
    Efrem Sigel, New York Daily News, 25 Jan. 2024
  • In 2022, the World Health Organization estimated that 1 billion children were maltreated each year around the globe.
    Marc D. Hauser, TIME, 3 Apr. 2024
Definition of maltreat
Verb
  • Buzbee, in return, has accused Carter of a campaign of harassment and bullying against him, his firm and his family.
    Sean O'Driscoll, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
  • The series stars Purnell (Yellowjackets, Sweetbitter) as Rhiannon Lewis, a meek newspaper-office receptionist who was mercilessly bullied in high school.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 3 Dec. 2024
Definition of bully
Verb
  • As the Assads lived a life of luxury, their regime locked up, tortured and killed thousands of its citizens.
    Richard Engel, NBC News, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Throughout the decades of the Assads’ rule, resistance of any kind was brutally quashed, and offenders were detained and tortured in a network of dozens of facilities across the country.
    Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of torture
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near ill-treat

ill-tempered

ill-treat

ill-treated

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Cite this Entry

“Ill-treat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-treat. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ill-treat

Nglish: Translation of ill-treat for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of ill-treat for Arabic Speakers

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