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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in attacked

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Yes, Stark has painted, or, more accurately, anodized, powder-coated, and otherwise bullied into submission just about everything to black.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026
Newcastle were not only beaten, but they were also bullied and battered into submission — physically overpowered and outplayed in every facet.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of bullied

Verb

Six of the gunmen were killed, according to police, who said one suicide bomber attacked the nearby office of an intelligence agency.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
When a wealthy, royal woman is attacked by bandits, the two men save her and are welcomed to the castle as valiant knights.

— Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of attacked

Verb

Two students who had been visiting the palace, Eduardo Matson Ospino and Yolanda Ernestina Santodomingo, were allegedly classified as especiales, taken to a military facility, blindfolded, interrogated, tortured and threatened with execution.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026
Prosecutors say Alsheikh, seeking to quash political dissent, sent certain prisoners to a wing of Adra where they were held in small isolation cells and tortured.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of tortured

Verb

Lug a bulky, awkward, bear-proof canister to store your food so you don’t get mauled.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
And statistically, your chances of getting jumped and mauled by a bear are so low compared to any other real danger in the backcountry.

— Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of mauled

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

He was brought to the prison infirmary, where numerous guards surrounded, punched, kicked, choked, dropped and manhandled him.

— Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 19 Sep. 2026
Not only did the offense look poor against the New York Jets on Sunday but the defensive line got manhandled by the Jets offensive line.

— Austin Mock, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of manhandled

Verb

The four men had arrived at the pre-arranged location to meet a woman and were ambushed by several men with assault rifles who fired into the vehicle, striking the front seat passenger, according to local police.

— Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
The same 1-2 punch that ambushed Cambridge with 52 points in the Dave Hunter + Corky Kell Classic beat South Gwinnett on Friday 55-20.

— Jack Leo, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of ambushed

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“Maltreated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maltreated. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of maltreated

adjective

verb

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