First Known Use: 1708
Dictionary
maltreat
verb mal·treat \ˌmal-ˈtrēt\
: to treat (someone) in a rough or cruel way
Full Definition of MALTREAT
transitive verb
: to treat cruelly or roughly : abuse
— mal·treat·er \-ˈtrē-tər\ noun
— mal·treat·ment \-ˈtrēt-mənt\ noun
See maltreat defined for English-language learners
See maltreat defined for kids
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Origin of MALTREAT
part translation of French maltraiter, from Middle French, from mal- + traiter to treat, from Old French traitier — more at treat
Related to MALTREAT
Rhymes with MALTREAT
accrete, aesthete, afreet, athlete, backbeat, backseat, backstreet, bedsheet, bench seat, big beat, bolete, box pleat, box seat, break beat, broadsheet, browbeat, buckwheat, bystreet, call sheet, car seat, cheat sheet, clipsheet, cloud street, cold feet, compete, compleat, complete, conceit, concrete, crabmeat, crib sheet, deadbeat, dead heat, dead meat, deceit, defeat, delete, deplete, discreet, discrete, disseat, downbeat, drop seat, drumbeat, dutch treat, effete, elite, en suite, entreat, escheat, excrete, facete, Fleet Street, fly sheet, forcemeat, foresheet, four-peat, gamete, groundsheet, hard wheat, heartbeat, heat-treat, helpmeet, hoofbeat, hot seat, house seat, ice sheet, ill-treat, jump seat, kick pleat, love seat, mainsheet, Main Street, mesquite, mincemeat, mistreat, offbeat, Ossete, petite, pink sheet, preheat, rap sheet, receipt, recheat, red heat, red meat, red wheat, regreet, repeat, replete, retreat, scratch sheet, secrete, side street, slip-sheet, soft wheat, spreadsheet, stand treat, swap meet, sweetmeat, tear sheet, terete, three-peat, through street, time sheet, unmeet, unseat, upbeat, vegete, volkslied, white heat
MALTREAT Defined for Kids
maltreat
verb mal·treat \mal-ˈtrēt\
mal·treat·edmal·treat·ing
Definition of MALTREAT for Kids
: to treat in a rough or unkind way : abuse
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