mistreat

verb

mis·​treat ˌmis-ˈtrēt 

mistreated; mistreating; mistreats

transitive verb

: to treat badly : abuse

mistreatment

ˌmis-ˈtrēt-mənt 

noun

Synonyms of mistreat

• abuse
• bully
• oppress

Examples of mistreat in a Sentence

They accuse him of mistreating his wife.

She claimed she had been mistreated by the police.

Recent Examples on the Web

Platner is also an unfaithful spouse who mistreats women. — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 25 June 2026

Children who once feared or mistreated animals begin to show care and leadership. — Patricia Huon, Christian Science Monitor, 30 June 2026

Those scars created a man who was a distant father and equally remote with his band members at the peak, mistreating them with casual disdain until everything fell apart. — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026

His tenure at Texas Tech came to a messy and uncomfortable end when he was fired for cause after being accused of mistreating a player with a concussion. — Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 2 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mistreat

• amit
• athlete
• backseat
• blackfeet
• broadsheet
• browbeat
• buckwheat
• compete
• compleat
• complete
• conceit
• concrete

Kids Definition

mistreat

verb

mis·​treat (ˈ)mis-ˈtrēt 

: to treat badly : abuse

mistreatment

-mənt 

noun