ill-treat

verb

ill-treated; ill-treating; ill-treats

transitive verb

: to treat cruelly or improperly : maltreat
ill-treatment noun

Examples of ill-treat in a Sentence

anyone who ill-treats their pets should not be allowed to have any

Word History

First Known Use

1689, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ill-treat was in 1689

Dictionary Entries Near ill-treat

Cite this Entry

“Ill-treat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ill-treat. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

ill-treat

verb
ˈil-ˈtrēt
: to treat in a cruel or improper way : maltreat
punished for ill-treating the neighbor's cat
ill-treatment
-mənt
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on ill-treat

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