mistreatment

/mɪsˈtritmɪnt/

/mɪsˈtritmənt/

Other forms: mistreatments

Mistreatment is being cruel or thoughtless toward a person, animal, or even an object. Your little brother's habit of picking the cat up by his tail is an example of mistreatment.

Mistreatment of the family car might include driving it on the beach, while mistreatment of one's children could be as serious as abuse. If you don't treat someone well, it can be called mistreatment. The word itself comes from the Old English prefix mis-, "bad or wrong," and treat, "to handle or deal with."

Definitions of mistreatment

1. noun

   cruel or unfair behavior toward a person or thing
   “he should be punished for his mistreatment of his mother”

   types:

   annoyance, annoying, irritation, vexation

   the act of troubling or annoying someone

   disregard, neglect

   willful lack of care and attention

   exploitation, using, victimisation, victimization

   an act that exploits or victimizes someone (treats them unfairly)

   harassment, molestation

   the act of tormenting by continued persistent attacks and criticism

   abuse, ill-treatment, ill-usage, maltreatment

   cruel or inhumane treatment

   despite

   contemptuous disregard

   blaxploitation

   the exploitation of black people (especially with regard to stereotyped roles in movies)

   sexploitation

   the commercial exploitation of sex or sexuality or explicit sexual material

   child abuse

   the physical or emotional or sexual mistreatment of children

   child neglect

   failure of caretakers to provide adequate emotional and physical care for a child

   persecution

   the act of persecuting (especially on the basis of race or religion)

   cruelty, inhuman treatment

   a cruel act; a deliberate infliction of pain and suffering

   baiting

   harassment especially of a tethered animal

   badgering, bedevilment, torment, worrying

   the act of harassing someone

   exasperation

   actions that cause great irritation (or even anger)

   red flag

   something that irritates or demands immediate action

   sexual harassment

   unwelcome sexual behavior by a supervisor toward an employee

   ribbing, tantalization, tease, teasing

   the act of harassing someone playfully or maliciously (especially by ridicule); provoking someone with persistent annoyances

   witch-hunt

   searching out and harassing dissenters

   colonialism

   exploitation by a stronger country of a weaker one; the use of the weaker country's resources to strengthen and enrich the stronger country

   type of:

   pattern, practice

   a customary way of operation or behavior