MALTREATED Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

maltreated 1 of 2

adjective

as in abused

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maltreated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of maltreat

as in bullied

to inflict physical or emotional harm upon a manager fired for maltreating the staff with needless insults a home for children who have been deprived and maltreated

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in attacked

to abuse physically if you maltreat the puppy, we will take it away immediately

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 maltreated

Verb

Canadian researchers found that older adults who were maltreated as children may face a significantly higher risk of cancer decades later. — Rob Williams, EverydayHealth.com, 22 Apr. 2026 The Adams County Health and Human Services Department’s initial assessment indicated that the infant was maltreated, though a final autopsy report is still pending, TMZ reported. — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026 Social media can’t replace offline resources for children who are being maltreated. — Laura Schwab Reese, The Conversation, 2 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for maltreated

Adjective

But Miss Manners would hate to think that your abused generosity will dissuade you from continuing with more reasonable recipients.

— Judith Martin, Mercury News, 17 Sep. 2026
At the end of the poem, Odysseus transforms from an abused guest to a murderous host, neither of which is ideal.

— Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 20 July 2026

Definition of abused

Verb

The opening episode depicts her deep bond with young Jason (Callum Vinson), an outsider who has significant health issues and is bullied by other kids.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
James McAvoy recalls his first day on the set of Band of Brothers and says a co-star bullied him.

— Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of bullied

Verb

Many questions Bukele has billed the rapid buildup as a search-and-rescue operation to find the missing Salvadorans, who were attacked east of Port-au-Prince while returning to camp after a trip to the supermarket.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
Kaye spent around $100,000 on dozens of ads in the Hollywood trades, Variety among them, some of which attacked Norton and the studio.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of attacked

Verb

Imprisoned during the persecution of Christians by the Roman emperor Diocletian, they were tortured and beheaded.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
From the very start, the students assigned as guards went on cruel power trips and repeatedly humiliated — if not psychologically tortured — the inmates, to the point that some of the prisoners suffered nervous breakdowns.

— Frank Landymore, Futurism, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of tortured

Verb

In October 2024, a group of lions mauled a zookeeper to death in Crimea after a door inside their enclosure was left unlocked.

— CBS News, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
In the top of the fifth of Monday night’s Game 3, the Brewers mauled the Tampa Bay Rays with eight two-out runs on seven consecutive hits.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of mauled

Verb

Dustin Degenhardt, a voter in the town of Wainwright, said that Albertans have long been mistreated by Canada’s federal government.

— Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Dustin Degenhardt, a voter in the town of Wainwright, said that Albertans have long been mistreated by Canada's federal government.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of mistreated

Verb

He got stuffed by double-team blocks and turned away by larger Toronto wings, who manhandled the slighter forward in his attempts to create downhill momentum.

— Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026
The Dallas Cowboys were manhandled by the Green Bay Packers 23-13 on Sunday night to drop to 2-4 this season.

— Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of manhandled

Verb

Three planeloads of soldiers from El Salvador landed in Haiti on Friday, days after the Central American nation’s president angrily threatened Haitian gangs that ambushed a group of Salvadoran soldiers over the past weekend who remain missing.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
Task Force were returning to their camp Sunday in a white all-terrain Toyota when they were ambushed by heavily armed criminals, according to the Salvadoran military.

— Widlore Mérancourt, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of ambushed

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“Maltreated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maltreated. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of maltreated

adjective

verb

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