Difficulty Level
intermediate
Translations
🇩🇪 misshandeln
, 🇪🇸 maltratar
, 🇮🇹 maltrattare
, 🇵🇹 maltratar
, 🇨🇳 虐待
, 🇯🇵 虐待する
, 🇰🇷 학대하다
, 🇸🇦 تعسف
, 🇮🇳 अत्याचार करना
Usage Examples
- Le gouvernement accuse le groupe de maltraiter les prisonniers.
- Il a été accusé de maltraiter son animal de compagnie.
- Les enfants ne doivent pas être maltraités par leurs enseignants.
Etymology
Maltraiter is a modern French verb formed by compounding mal (“bad,” from Latin *malus*) with the verb traiter (“to treat, to handle”), which itself derives from Latin *tractare*. The compound first appears in the 17th‑18th centuries and, by the 19th century, had acquired the pejorative sense of “to mistreat, abuse.” Its evolution reflects the semantic shift of traiter from neutral handling to negative treatment when prefixed by mal.
Synonyms
abuser
exploiter
dominer
déshumaniser
priver de dignité
tourmenter
Antonyms
traiter
soigner
prendre soin de
chérir
respecter