ill-usage

/'il'ju:zidʤ/

Thân thiện

The child suffered from ill-usage.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Cruel or inhumane treatment; abuse: "Ill-usage" refers to the act of treating someone or something in a harsh, cruel, or unjust manner, often involving physical or psychological harm.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The report documented the ill-usage of prisoners in the facility.
  • The animal shelter rescues pets from neglect and ill-usage.

Advanced Usage

• "to suffer ill-usage": to be subjected to cruel or abusive treatment.
  • Many refugees have suffered ill-usage during their journey.

Variants and Related Words

• Ill-use (verb/noun): to treat badly or unfairly; cruel treatment. This is a direct variant.
  • Verb: It is wrong to ill-use those who are weaker.
  • Noun: The equipment broke down due to constant ill-use.
• Maltreatment (noun): cruel or violent treatment; a close synonym.
• Abuse (noun): the improper treatment of a person or thing, often cruel or violent.

Synonyms

• Mistreatment: The action of treating someone badly.
• Maltreatment: Cruel or violent treatment.
• Abuse: Improper, cruel, or violent treatment of a person or object.
• Persecution: Hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of race, political, or religious beliefs.

Related Phrases

• Subject to ill-usage: To cause someone to experience cruel treatment.
  • The whistleblower feared being subjected to ill-usage by his superiors.

Related Idioms

• To kick someone when they are down: To treat someone badly when they are already in a vulnerable state. This idiom conveys a sense of cruel treatment similar to ill-usage.
  • Firing her after the bereavement was like kicking her when she was down.

Học thuật

Noun

1. cruel or inhumane treatment
   • the child showed signs of physical abuse

Từ đồng nghĩa

• maltreatment
• ill-treatment
• abuse