ILL-TREAT Synonyms: 45 Similar and Opposite Words

ill-treat

verb

ˈil-ˈtrēt

Definition of ill-treat

as in to abuse

to inflict physical or emotional harm upon anyone who ill-treats their pets should not be allowed to have any

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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.

Recent Examples of ill-treat Declarants describe detentions following their civil immigration arrests that deprived them of basic human dignity, including being ill-treated, with inadequate food and uncomfortable and crowded sleeping facilities, and being denied medical attention. — New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025 But that shouldn’t, in my mind, make an excuse for ill-treating a patient. — Jessica Schreifels, ProPublica, 26 Sep. 2025 There is a troubling suggestion of abuse, implying that Jack might have been ill-treated by his mom (and saved by Helen), rather than heartlessly abandoned. — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 14 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-treat

Verb

The scandal led to Paterno’s firing, and the university paid more than $100 million to people who said they were abused by Sandusky.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
Some critics report being verbally abused, doxxed, and even threatened with rape and death by BJP supporters.

— Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of abuse

Verb

The other has been dismissed or mistreated in a clinic before, and reads the same sentence as confirmation that they were not told the whole story the first time.

— Aleeza Gerstein, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026
Creative labor certainly seems to be disappearing as studios experiment with generative AI, and artists and craftspeople are rightly afraid of being further mistreated, devalued, or replaced.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of mistreat

Verb

The former beauty queen’s family claim that she was tortured by the suspects over dowry demands, reported the BBC.

— Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
After 33 years spent in Italy, Mariano Guerra, an Italian doctor, returns to Argentina to testify at the trial against the former military officers who abducted, tortured and enslaved him during the military dictatorship.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of torture

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ill-tempered

ill-treat

ill-treated

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“Ill-treat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-treat. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of ill-treat

verb

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