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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-treat
  1. abuse
  2. mistreat
  3. maltreat
  4. bully
  5. torture
Verb
  • After killing the nun (Jennifer Ehle) who was her primary abuser within an entire system designed to abuse, Teonna went on the run.
    — Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 16 Mar. 2025
  • For too long, credit card companies have abused working-class Americans with absurd interest rates, trapping them in an almost insurmountable amount of debt.
    — Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of abuse
Verb
  • Black models confided in her, sharing stories of their hair being damaged, mistreated, or outright ignored by stylists unfamiliar with their textures.
    — Lyric Christian, Essence, 12 Mar. 2025
  • Both Kansas City officials and KC Pet Project agree that the city’s current chapter on animal control in the city code has flaws that impede the ability of animal-control officers to go onto private property without permission to impound vicious dogs and animals that are being mistreated.
    — Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 5 Mar. 2025
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
  • Once back, Jérémie can’t bear to leave, and Vincent, resentful of the intruder in his mother’s house, tries to bully him out.
    — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025
  • In the essay, the 37-year-old recalled how Trachtenberg was often bullied by their peers, with kids mocking her for her role in Harriet the Spy.
    — Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025
Definition of bully
Verb
  • One of Manson's followers, Bobby Beausoleil, was found guilty of torturing and murdering the man who introduced Manson to Wilson, Gary Hinman.
    — William Lambers, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Between January and June 2023, the couple abused and tortured their two children within the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, according to prosecutors.
    — Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2025
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.

Browse Nearby Words

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 27 Mar. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of ill-treat for Spanish Speakers

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