treat

¹treat

verb \ˈtrēt\

Definition of TREAT

intransitive verb

1

: to discuss terms of accommodation or settlement : negotiate

2

: to deal with a matter especially in writing : discourse —usually used with of <a book treating of conservation>

3

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

transitive verb

1

a : to deal with in speech or writing : expound b : to present or represent artistically c : to deal with : handle <food is plentiful and treated with imagination — Cecil Beaton>

2

a : to bear oneself toward : use <treat a horse cruelly> b : to regard and deal with in a specified manner —usually used with as <treat the matter as confidential>

3

a : to provide with free food, drink, or entertainment <they treated us to lunch> b : to provide with enjoyment or gratification

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>

— treat·er noun

Examples of TREAT

1. The author treats this issue in the next chapter.
2. This situation must be treated with great care.
3. I try to treat everyone equally.
4. She treats the horse cruelly.
5. They treated me like a member of their family.
6. I was treated like a queen.
7. My parents still treat me like a child.
8. Try to treat everyone as an equal.
9. Young people should always treat their elders with respect.
10. Let's go out to dinner. I'll treat.

Origin of TREAT

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: 14th century

Related to TREAT

Synonyms: act (toward), be (to), deal (with), handle, serve, use, do by

Related Words: consider, esteem, rate, reckon, regard, view; engage (with), react (to), respond (to)

Near Antonyms: botch, bungle, foozle, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mess (up), mishandle, muff, scamp

see all synonyms and antonyms

[+]more[-]hide

Rhymes with TREAT

beat, beet, bleat, cheat, cleat, Crete, deet, eat, feat, fleet, Geat, gleet, greet, heat, lied, meat, meet, mete, neat, peat, pleat, seat, sheet, skeet, sleet, street, suite, sweet, teat, tweet, weet, wheat