mishandle

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verb

Definition of MISHANDLE

1

to inflict physical or emotional harm upon <having been shuffled from foster home to foster home, the orphaned girl felt she had been mishandled by an uncaring society>

Synonyms brutalize, bully, ill-treat, ill-use, kick around, maltreat, manhandle, mess over [slang], mishandle, mistreat, misuse

Related Words molest, outrage, violate; harass, harm, hurt, injure, oppress, persecute, torment, torture; burn, sandbag, victimize, wrong; beat (up), mess (up), rough (up), work (over)

Near Antonyms care (for), cherish, foster, nurture; baby, cater (to), coddle, favor, gratify, humor, indulge, mollycoddle, pamper, spoil

2

to abuse physically <adopted a sadly mishandled puppy from the pound>

Synonyms maltreat, maul, mishandle, rough (up)

Related Words abuse, ill-treat, ill-use, mistreat, misuse; roughhouse, wrestle; bash, batter, beat, buffet, drub, lambaste (or lambast), lick, pommel, pound, pummel, slap, thrash; harm, hurt, injure, wound; oppress, persecute, wrong; ambush, assail, attack; clobber, fight, gang up (on), hit, jump, knock; torment, torture

Near Antonyms caress, fondle, pet; coddle, mollycoddle, pamper; care (for), foster, nurture

3

to manage badly <we took over as soon as we realized that the fill-in had been mishandling the situation>

Synonyms maladminister, misconduct, misgovern, mishandle, misrule

Related Words abuse, ill-treat, ill-use, maltreat, mistreat, misuse; damage, harm, hurt, violate; botch, bungle

Near Antonyms govern, handle, husband, manage, rule; care (for), nurture; aid, help, protect, rescue