maltreat - 20 thesaurus results
| Main Entry: | assail |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | attack, usually with words |
| Synonyms: | abuse, assault, bash, berate, beset, blast, blister, bust, charge, come at, criticize, encounter, impugn, invade, lambaste, lay into*, malign, maltreat, molest, revile, trash*, vilify, have at*, set upon, work over |
| Notes: | to assail a task is to approach it with the intent of mastering it, from Latin salire 'to leap'; assault is also based on this word and assail and assault can be synonyms |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | corrupt |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | pervert; pollute |
| Synonyms: | abase, abuse, adulterate, bastardize, blemish, blight, bribe, contaminate, damage, debase, debauch, decay, decompose, deface, defile, deform, degrade, demean, demoralize, deprave, depreciate, despoil, disfigure, disgrace, dishonor, fix, harm, hurt, impair, infect, injure, lower, lure, maltreat, mar, mistreat, misuse, outrage, pull down, putrefy, ravage, reduce, rot, ruin, spoil, square, stain, suborn, subvert, taint, undermine, violate, vitiate, warp, waste, animalize, grease palm, ill-treat |
| Antonyms: | better, chasten, cleanse, dignify, improve, purify |
| Main Entry: | damage |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cause injury, loss |
| Synonyms: | abuse, batter, bleach, blight, break, burn, contaminate, corrode, corrupt, crack, cripple, deface, defile, dirty, discolor, disfigure, disintegrate, dismantle, fade, gnaw, harm, hurt, impair, incapacitate, infect, injure, lacerate, maim, maltreat, mangle, mar, mutilate, pollute, ravage, rot, ruin, rust, scorch, scratch, smash, split, spoil, stab, stain, tarnish, tear, undermine, vitiate, weaken, wound, wreck, wrong, bang up, scathe, tamper with, wear away, wreak havoc on |
| Antonyms: | benefit, bless, enhance, favor, fix, improve, mend, perfect, repair |
| Main Entry: | flail |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | beat, strike |
| Synonyms: | bash, batter, club, flog, hit, knock, lash, maltreat, pummel, slug, smack, smash, sock, thrash, thwack, whale |
| Main Entry: | harm |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | injure; cause evil |
| Synonyms: | abuse, blemish, bruise, cripple, crush, damage, discommode, get, hurt, impair, inconvenience, maim, maltreat, mangle, mar, mess up*, misuse, molest, mutilate, nick, outrage, prejudice, put down, ruin, sabotage, sap*, shatter, shock, spoil, stab, tarnish, total, trample, tweak*, undermine, vandalize, vitiate, wing*, wound, wreck, wrench, wrong, zing*, dilapidate, disserve, do violence to, dump on, ill-treat, incommode, louse up, muck up*, scathe, traumatize |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, benefit, care, fix, help, improve, mend |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | injure |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | hurt, harm |
| Synonyms: | abuse, aggrieve, batter, blemish, blight, break, contort, cripple, cut up, damage, deface, deform, disable, disfigure, distort, distress, do in*, foul, foul up, grieve, impair, maim, maltreat, mangle, mar, mutilate, pain, pique, prejudice, ruin, shake up, spoil, sting, tarnish, torment, torture, total, undermine, vitiate, wax, weaken, wound, wrong, draw blood, hack up |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, cure, fix, heal, help, mend |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | maul |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | mangle, abuse |
| Synonyms: | bang, bash, batter, beat, beat up, bludgeon, buffet, claw, clean, drub, flagellate, flail, hit, hurt, knock about*, lacerate, lash, maltreat, molest, mug, muscle, paste*, paw, pelt, pound, pummel, rough up, skin, thrash, trample, wax, whip, break face, handle roughly, ill-treat, knock around, lean on, let have it, put in the hospital, take care of, work over |
| Antonyms: | guard, maintain, protect, take care |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | mistreat |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | treat badly or wrongly |
| Synonyms: | abuse, backbite, bash, chop, harm, injure, maltreat, maul, mess up, misuse, molest, outrage, rip, rough up, roughhouse, shake up, total*, trash*, wax*, wound, wrong, brutalize, bung up, do wrong, dump on, give black eye, handle roughly, kick around, knock around, push around |
| Antonyms: | coddle, favor, pamper, pet, please, satisfy, treat well |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | misuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | abuse; apply wrongly |
| Synonyms: | blow*, corrupt, cut up, desecrate, dissipate, exploit, go through, maltreat, maul, mess up*, misapply, mistreat, molest, outrage, pervert, profane, prostitute, run through*, shake up, squander, waste, wrong, brutalize, handle roughly, ill-treat, misemploy |
| Antonyms: | use correctly |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | oppress |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | depress, subdue |
| Synonyms: | abuse, afflict, aggrieve, annoy, burden, crush, dishearten, distress, encumber, force, handicap, harass, harry, hound*, maltreat, outrage, overcome, overload, overpower, overthrow, overwhelm, persecute, pick on, plague, press, prey on, put down, ride, rule, sadden, saddle*, smother, strain, subjugate, suppress, tax, torment, torture, trample, trouble, vex, worry, wrong, beat down*, despotize, dispirit, keep down, put screws to, put the squeeze on, put upon, tyrranize, weigh heavy upon |
| Antonyms: | aid, boost, delight, gladden, help, make happy |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | outrage |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | wrong, offend, abuse |
| Synonyms: | affront, aggrieve, defile, deflower, desecrate, force, incense, infuriate, injure, insult, jar*, madden, maltreat, mistreat, misuse, oppress, persecute, raise Cain*, rape, ravage, ravish, scandalize, shock, spoil, violate, whip up*, boil over*, burn up*, do violence to, fire up, ill- treat, kick up a row, make hit the ceiling, reach boiling point |
| Antonyms: | delight, please, make happy |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | persecute |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | wrong, torment |
| Synonyms: | afflict, aggrieve, annoy, badger, bait, be on one's case, beat, bother, crucify, distress, dog*, dragoon, drive up the wall, exile, expel, harass, hector, hound*, hunt, ill-treat, injure, maltreat, martyr, molest, oppress, outrage, pester, pick on, plague, pursue, tease, torture, tyrannize, vex, victimize, worry |
| Antonyms: | comfort, commend, console, reward, soothe |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | punish |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | penalize for wrongdoing |
| Synonyms: | abuse, batter, beat, beat up, blacklist, castigate, chasten, chastise, correct, cuff, debar, discipline, dismiss, do in, execute, exile, expel, fine, flog, harm, hurt, immure, incarcerate, injure, knock about, lash, lecture, maltreat, misuse, oppress, paddle, reprove, rough up, scourge, sentence, spank, switch, train, whip, attend to, crack down on, defrock, give a going over, give the works, rap knuckles, slap wrist, teach a lesson, throw the book at |
| Antonyms: | award, exonerate, praise, protect, reward, let go |
| Main Entry: | rough up |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | handle harshly |
| Synonyms: | abuse, bash, batter, beat up, hit, knock about, maltreat, manhandle, mishandle, mistreat, roughhouse, thrash, knock around, roughen, slap around |
| Antonyms: | aid, help, protect |
| Main Entry: | wrong |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | hurt, mistreat another |
| Synonyms: | abuse, aggrieve, cheat, damage, defame, discredit, dishonor, harm, hurt, injure, malign, maltreat, misrepresent, mistreat, offend, oppress, outrage, persecute, take advantage of, ill-treat, impose upon |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, help, sympathize |
| Main Entry: | manhandle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | push |
| Synonyms: | abuse, batter, beat, damage, handle, knock about, maltreat, mangle, maul, mistreat, paw, pull, push, rough up, roughhouse, bung up, slap around |
| Main Entry: | mistreat |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | harm |
| Synonyms: | abuse, injure, maltreat, wrong, ill-treat |
| Main Entry: | abuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | physically hurt or injure |
| Synonyms: | beat up, corrupt, cut up*, damage, defile, deprave, desecrate, harm, hose*, impair, maltreat, mar, mess up*, mishandle, mistreat, misuse, molest, oppress, persecute, pollute*, rough up, roughhouse, ruin, shake up*, spoil, taint, total*, victimize, violate, wax*, bang up, bung up, ill-treat |
| Antonyms: | cherish, defend, help, preserve, protect, respect |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | beat |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | injure by striking |
| Synonyms: | bang, bash, bat, batter, belt, box, break, bruise, buffet, cane, castigate, clout, club, collide, crush, cudgel, drub, flagellate, flail, flog, hammer, hit, knock, lambaste*, lash, lick*, maltreat, mash, maul, pelt, pound, pummel, punch, punish, ram, rap, slap, slug, smack, spank, strike, swat, thrash, thump, thwack, trounce, wallop, whale*, whip, thresh |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, guard, help, protect |
* = informal/non-formal usage
| Main Entry: | hurt |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cause physical pain; experience pain |
| Synonyms: | abuse, ache, afflict, ail, belt, bite, blemish, bruise, burn, cramp, cut, cut up, damage, disable, flail, flog, harm, impair, injure, kick, lacerate, lash, maltreat, mar, maul, mess up, nip, pierce, pinch, pommel, prick, pummel, punch, puncture, punish, rough up, shake up, slap, slug, smart, spank, spoil, squeeze, stab, sting, tear, throb, torment, torture, total, trouble, wax, whack, whip, wing, wound, wring, be sore, be tender, do violence, wrack up |
| Antonyms: | aid, assist, assuage, cure, heal, help, relieve, remedy, soothe |
Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009 by the Philip Lief Group.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
