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

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
Sara O’Meara is a cofounder and CEO of Childhelp, a nonprofit dedicated to serving the needs of abused, neglected and at-risk children.

— Sara O'Meara, Baltimore Sun, 26 June 2026

Definition of abused

Verb

In the series, Elle transfers from Truham Grammar School for Boys, where she was bullied, to Harvey Greene Grammar School for Girls following her transition.

— Jessica Sager, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
Two weeks after being bullied off X by gangs of LIB truthers, German soccer fan Freddy, whose wholesome social media posts on American culture during his travels around the country early in the World Cup, has returned to the app.

— Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2026

Definition of bullied

Verb

Iran has also repeatedly attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
OpenAI was evaluating its artificial intelligence models’ ability to exploit vulnerable software when instead the models hacked the infrastructure surrounding the test, broke containment, and attacked a real company, OpenAI revealed on July 21.

— Harry Booth, Time, 24 July 2026

Definition of attacked

Verb

Dandara dos Santos was tortured and beaten to death by a group of twelve people, who eventually tossed her body in a wheelbarrow, shot her, and posted a video of the crime on social media.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 July 2026
Yes, Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Black boy who was abducted, tortured and lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after a White woman accused him of making an advance toward her.

— Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of tortured

Verb

Backstage, Jey Uso took out Sikoa, and Fatu and Jimmy Uso mauled LA Knight and Sikoa later in the night.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Chris Brown was found liable by a Los Angeles jury on Tuesday for $13 million in the gruesome case of a dog that mauled and disfigured his housekeeper at his home in 2020.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 1 July 2026

Definition of mauled

Verb

But the suits allege that while these three students were at the school, staff did not protect them or prevent them from being mistreated.

— Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 24 July 2026
In June, Hilton returned to the Provo Canyon School to support two families who filed lawsuits alleging that their children were mistreated at the school.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026

Definition of mistreated

Verb

During this stretch, the Colts will face three AFC opponents, including the Steelers, who manhandled them last year and forced Jones to commit a career-high five turnovers in a loss.

— James Boyd, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Those ramped up after Ottawa was completely manhandled by the Canes, and never held the lead at any point in the series.

— Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026

Definition of manhandled

Verb

The military convoy was leaving the northern town of Anefis and headed to Gao city when it was ambushed in the Sahara desert.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
Nolan’s film has Telemachus and his trusted advisor, Mentor (Ryan Hurst), ambushed by the suitors at a temple dedicated to Apollo.

— Marlow Stern, Variety, 17 July 2026

Definition of ambushed

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“Maltreated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maltreated. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of maltreated

adjective

verb

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