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

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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

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
More than two dozen abused animals were removed from a Brooklyn apartment, where they were cramped in cages, many covered with urine and feces, officials said Friday.

— Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 19 June 2026

Definition of abused

Verb

Bang-geul was bullied by her older half-siblings, who looked down on their younger sister because of her mom’s former status as a domestic employee.

— Kayti Burt, Time, 6 July 2026
This was a rabid, partisan home-soil advantage that flat-out bullied the squad into surviving.

— Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 2 July 2026

Definition of bullied

Verb

So the next time your brand wants to bare its teeth, picture Mickey in his tuxedo being attacked by an oversized beaver.

— Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
The suspect is believed to be a woman, but investigators have not ruled out the possibility that the teen was attacked by a man wearing women’s clothes, according to a law enforcement source.

— Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 10 July 2026

Definition of attacked

Verb

Walker was abducted, raped, tortured and murdered after attending a Valentine’s Day dance with her boyfriend.

— Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
The actual abduction was committed, according to the feds, by supermarket owner Abu Chowdhury — who’s accused of heading a kidnapping ring that also snatched and tortured two men who crossed his vengeful wife, Iffat Lubna.

— John Annese, New York Daily News, 4 July 2026

Definition of tortured

Verb

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
Florida officials have identified the woman who died after she was mauled by an alligator while swimming in a river with her boyfriend and best friend over the weekend, and 911 calls detail the desperate attempt to save her life.

— Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 1 July 2026

Definition of mauled

Verb

There’s a lot of talk about dogs being bred and sold, and Lopez said she’s seen evidence of animals being mistreated.

— Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
By 1790, half of the world's coffee was being grown in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, in what is today Haiti, Pendergrast says, where slaves were routinely mistreated, raped and murdered.

— James Doubek, NPR, 3 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

On May 17, 1777, a group of British soldiers, loyalist militia and Native Americans ambushed Georgia Patriots near the mouth of Thomas Creek, near what is now the Jacksonville airport.

— Lane Degregory, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 July 2026
The first convoy sent by the Malian army was ambushed last Sunday, FLA said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026

Definition of ambushed

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“Maltreated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maltreated. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of maltreated

adjective

verb

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