ill-treat

verb

ˈil-ˈtrēt 

ill-treated; ill-treating; ill-treats

transitive verb

: to treat cruelly or improperly : maltreat

ill-treatment

ˈil-ˈtrēt-mənt 

noun

Synonyms

• abuse
• brutalize
• bully
• ill-use
• kick around
• maltreat
• manhandle
• mess over [slang]
• mishandle
• mistreat
• misuse

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

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