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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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

View this post on Instagram Priscilla Villanueva said her son, Dakota Cabrera, has been bullied for wearing his hair in a braid, but seeing Pete do the same gives him hope.

— Marissa Armas, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Trump has all but severed America’s system of alliances, mocked and bullied Ukraine’s president, and showered praise upon Kim Jong Un.

— Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of bullied

Verb

Evidence publicly presented in the Clancy case indicates Lindsay was the only adult at the family home when investigators believe the children were attacked.

— Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
The Defense Ministry in Bucharest said that so far this year, Russia had attacked targets close to Romania's frontier 54 times, representing a significant increase on the 28 attacks close to the border in all of 2025.

— David Brennan, ABC News, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of attacked

Verb

The Assad regime fell in 2024, but the bodies of Khalil’s two friends were never recovered; their families assumed that they had been tortured, killed, and buried in a mass grave.

— Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
One of Nader’s grandsons, Shah Rukh, was tortured by a greedy court eunuch named Agha Muhammad to force him to reveal the location of the invaluable diamond.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of tortured

Verb

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
Also in July, in Kenai, a local resident was mauled by a brown bear that had climbed over the fence into her front yard, with its two cubs, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety.

— Stephen Smith, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of mauled

Verb

Human rights organizations have released multiple reports alleging Palestinian prisoners are mistreated, tortured and wrongfully detained in Israeli jails.

— CBS News, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Detectives said Beemer claimed his mother had mistreated him for years, including molesting him.

— Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 30 July 2026

Definition of mistreated

Verb

New England lost in demoralizing fashion to the Seahawks last February, 29-13, as the Seattle defense manhandled the Patriots’ offense.

— Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of manhandled

Verb

As Cole is driving Tibu back from a passing-of-the-torch party, the two are ambushed, and Tibu is killed.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
While there was a period of harmony between the two coasts, that imploded after Shakur was ambushed at a Times Square recording studio in November 1994.

— Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of ambushed

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“Maltreated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maltreated. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of maltreated

adjective

verb

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