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

Macedo wrote a letter to Steve Kawa, the chair of the authority’s board, ahead of the meeting saying that Choudri had misused taxpayer money and abused public trust.

— Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Krems said the nanny, Chun-May Lee, who allegedly abused the children, was quickly fired.

— Austin Turner, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of abused

Verb

Last year outside attorneys spent months investigating allegations that director John Youngquist mistreated employees of color.

— Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026
Ultimately, the show attempts to draw a parallel between Lizzie Borden and Aileen Wuornos, portraying them as two women abused and mistreated by society who dared to fight back.

— Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of mistreated

Verb

Hundreds of thousands of women were tried, tortured, and executed for witchcraft in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026
According to Bilal and his brother Judy, neither Ahmed nor anyone else in his family had ever been arrested or tortured by the regime.

— Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of tortured

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“Ill-treated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill-treated. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ill-treated

verb

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