mistreat

verb

mis·​treat ˌmis-ˈtrēt How to pronounce mistreat (audio)
mistreated; mistreating; mistreats

transitive verb

: to treat badly : abuse
mistreatment noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ridglan Farms, which was under investigation on allegations of mistreating its dogs, agreed to halt its breeding operation by July 1, meaning employees can no longer breed and sell beagles at the facility. Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 30 Oct. 2025 Klingerman alleged in Don't Date Brandon that Johnson was cheating and mistreated her older daughter, Lexus, from a previous relationship. Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025 They are mistreated, raped, killed. Karl Ove Knausgaard, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025 There have been multiple reports of children being mistreated during enforcement operations. Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mistreat

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mistreat was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mistreat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mistreat. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

mistreat

verb
mis·​treat (ˈ)mis-ˈtrēt How to pronounce mistreat (audio)
: to treat badly : abuse
mistreatment noun

More from Merriam-Webster on mistreat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!