treat

1 of 2

verb

ˈtrēt 

treated; treating; treats

transitive verb

1

a

: to deal with in speech or writing : expound

treats the topic in detail

b

: to present or represent artistically

Each artist treats the subject differently …

—Ruth Lopez

… the theme is treated in the style of an arabesque …

—North Country Now (Potsdam, New York)

c

: to deal with : handle

Food is plentiful and treated with imagination.

—Cecil Beaton

2

a

: to behave or act toward

treats the animals kindly

treated everyone with respect

b

: to regard and deal with in a specified manner

—usually used with as or like

Treat the matter as confidential.

My parents still treat me like a child.

3

a

: to provide with free food, drink, or entertainment

They treated us to lunch.

b

: to provide with enjoyment or gratification

treated myself to a day at the spa

4

: to care for or deal with medically or surgically

treat a disease

5

: to act upon with some agent especially to improve or alter

treat a metal with acid

intransitive verb

1

: to pay another's expenses (as for a meal or drink) especially as a compliment or as an expression of regard or friendship

Let's go out for lunch. I'll treat.

2

: to discuss terms of accommodation or settlement : negotiate

… the … government's plan to treat with Russia on the Arctic and other areas of mutual interest …

—Lee Berthiaume

3

: to deal with a matter especially in writing : discourse

—usually used with of

a book treating of conservation

treater noun

treat

2 of 2

noun

1

a

: the act of providing another with free food, drink, or entertainment

dinner will be my treat

b

: an entertainment given without expense to those invited

2

: an especially unexpected source of joy, delight, or amusement

seeing her again was a treat

Synonyms of treat

Verb

• serve
• handle
• use
• be (to)

Noun

• joy
• delight
• feast

Examples of treat in a Sentence

Verb

The author treats this issue in the next chapter.

This situation must be treated with great care.

I try to treat everyone equally.

She treats the horse cruelly.

They treated me like a member of their family.

I was treated like a queen.

My parents still treat me like a child.

Try to treat everyone as an equal.

Young people should always treat their elders with respect.

Let's go out to dinner. I'll treat.

Noun

We took the kids to the water park as a special treat.

cookies and other tasty treats

She rewarded the dog with a treat.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

In a September interview, Martinez said her office had already spent about $32 million housing and treating people arrested under Proposition 36. —Kelly Davis, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2025

For centuries, urban policy has treated inequality as inevitable, rather than intentional. —Fahad Zuberi, Time, 5 Nov. 2025

Noun

Here’s a look at how robots brought the tricks, treats, and a little bit of terror to 2025’s most spirited night. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2025

By virtue of their relative scarcity—there have been eight empty-the-tank outings since the century began—every Game 7 is an unqualified treat, but the Dodgers’ clinch was one for the ages. —Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English treten, from Anglo-French treter, traiter, traitier, from Latin tractare to drag about, handle, deal with, frequentative of trahere to drag, pull

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Noun

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing treat

• a treat
• Dutch treat
• heat-treat
• ill-treat
• looks a treat
• pre-treat
• stand treat
• treat (someone) like dirt
• trick or treat
• went down a treat
• worked a treat

Rhymes for treat

• beat
• beet
• bleat
• cheat
• cleat
• creat
• deet
• eat
• feat
• feet
• fleet
• greet

Kids Definition

treat

1 of 2 verb

ˈtrēt 

1

: to discuss terms of agreement with : negotiate

treat with the enemy

2

a

: to have as a subject especially in writing

a book treating of crime

b

: to deal with : handle

roses must be treated with care

3

a

: to pay for another's food or entertainment

I'm treating tonight

b

: to provide with free food, entertainment, or enjoyment

let me treat you with lunch

4

: to handle, use, or act toward in a usually stated way

treat a horse cruelly

treat this as top secret

5

: to give medical or surgical care to

treat a patient

treat a cold

6

: to subject to some action or process to bring about a desired result

treat a metal with acid

treat

2 of 2 noun

1

: an entertainment given without expense to those invited

2

: a usually unexpected or unusual source of pleasure or amusement

Medical Definition

treat

transitive verb

ˈtrēt 

: to care for or deal with medically or surgically : deal with by medical or surgical means

treated their diseases

treats a patient