ILL-TREATED Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

ill-treated

verb

past tense of ill-treat

as in abused

to inflict physical or emotional harm upon anyone who ill-treats their pets should not be allowed to have any

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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.

Recent Examples of ill-treated Declarants describe detentions following their civil immigration arrests that deprived them of basic human dignity, including being ill-treated, with inadequate food and uncomfortable and crowded sleeping facilities, and being denied medical attention. — New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025 There is a troubling suggestion of abuse, implying that Jack might have been ill-treated by his mom (and saved by Helen), rather than heartlessly abandoned. — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 14 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill-treated

Verb

The first leg was stopped after Vinicius Junior said he had been racially abused by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, who denied the allegation.

— Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
As a result of the accusation, police mailed letters to around 200 parents that warned them their child could have been abused and asked for information, while therapy clinic Children’s Institute International conducted interviews with students.

— Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of abused

Verb

The other has been dismissed or mistreated in a clinic before, and reads the same sentence as confirmation that they were not told the whole story the first time.

— Aleeza Gerstein, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026
Creative labor certainly seems to be disappearing as studios experiment with generative AI, and artists and craftspeople are rightly afraid of being further mistreated, devalued, or replaced.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of mistreated

Verb

The Fire turned up the pressure defensively in the paint and consistently bullied the Dream out of it.

— Micahya Costen, AJC.com, 29 Aug. 2026
View this post on Instagram Priscilla Villanueva said her son, Dakota Cabrera, has been bullied for wearing his hair in a braid, but seeing Pete do the same gives him hope.

— Marissa Armas, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of bullied

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“Ill-treated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-treated. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of ill-treated

verb

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