mistreat

verb

mis·​treat ˌmis-ˈtrēt How to pronounce mistreat (audio)
mistreated; mistreating; mistreats

transitive verb

: to treat badly : abuse
mistreatment noun

Examples of mistreat in a Sentence

They accuse him of mistreating his wife. She claimed she had been mistreated by the police.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But Lively did believe she had been harassed and mistreated on set, the filing claims, making the defamation accusation false. Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2025 Michael also claimed in an episode that he was manipulated and mistreated by his former wife. Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025 In a series of posts on X Monday (March 17), the star clapped back at critics of her new music before calling out the way Black women have historically been mistreated. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 18 Mar. 2025 These actions targeted and mistreated individuals. Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 12 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mistreat

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mistreat was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mistreat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mistreat. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

mistreat

verb
mis·​treat (ˈ)mis-ˈtrēt How to pronounce mistreat (audio)
: to treat badly : abuse
mistreatment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on mistreat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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