Maltreat
/ˌmælˈtriːt/noun
To treat someone cruelly or badly.
Did you know?The prefix **mal-** comes from Latin **malus** meaning “bad, evil,” the same root behind words like **malice** and **malignant**, so the word carries a built-in shadow from its very first syllable.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
malus
“bad, evil”
Late Latin
Latin
male
“badly, wrongly”
Old French
Old French
traiter
“to treat, handle”
16th Century
English
maltreaten
“to treat badly or harshly”
Modern English
English
maltreat
“to treat cruelly or abusively”
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