Verbs of Physical and Social Lifestyle - Verbs for Mistreatment

Here you will learn some English verbs referring to mistreatment such as "abuse", "bully", and "oppress".

review

flashcard

spelling

quiz

start-learning

to mistreat [verb]

to treat someone or something poorly or unfairly

Ex: Do n't mistreat your belongings ; proper care and maintenance will prolong their lifespan .

to maltreat [verb]

to treat someone or something with cruelty or violence, often causing harm or suffering

Ex: Animals should never be maltreated ; they deserve to be treated with kindness and respect .

to ill-treat [verb]

to behave cruelly or harshly towards someone or something

Ex:

to abuse [verb]

to cruelly or violently treat a person or an animal, especially regularly or repeatedly

Ex: Animal rights activists work tirelessly to expose and stop individuals who abuse animals for entertainment purposes .

to oppress [verb]

to unfairly control or harm someone through unjust use of power or authority

Ex: Throughout history , marginalized groups have been oppressed by those in positions of power .

to bully [verb]

to use power or influence to frighten or harm someone weaker or more vulnerable

Ex: The manager would bully his employees into working overtime without compensation .

to victimize [verb]

to make someone a target of harm, unfair treatment, or exploitation

Ex: The vulnerable population was victimized by the government 's unfair policies .

to gaslight [verb]

to manipulate someone into questioning their own perceptions, memories, or sanity, often by denying or distorting the truth

Ex: The cult leader would gaslight his followers , convincing them that their doubts and concerns were simply signs of weakness .

to play on [verb]

to take advantage of someone's feelings or weaknesses

Ex: Scammers often play on the elderly 's trust and lack of tech knowledge to deceive them .

to wrong [verb]

to treat someone unfairly or unjustly

Ex: She felt deeply hurt when her partner wronged her by betraying her trust .

to shame [verb]

to make someone feel embarrassed or disgraced, often through public criticism

Ex: As a community , we must not shame individuals struggling with mental health issues but offer support and understanding .

to mortify [verb]

to cause someone to feel extreme embarrassment or shame

Ex: The child was mortified when his mother scolded him in front of his friends .

to embarrass [verb]

to make a person feel ashamed, uneasy, or nervous, especially in front of other people

Ex: It 's important not to intentionally embarrass others with teasing or mocking .

to discomfit [verb]

to make someone feel uneasy, embarrassed, or anxious

Ex: An unexpected compliment from their crush discomfited them with a wave of self-consciousness .

to abash [verb]

to make someone feel uneasy and ashamed

Ex: It 's not polite to abash someone by pointing out their flaws in public .

to humiliate [verb]

to cause someone to feel extremely embarrassed or ashamed, often by publicly exposing their weaknesses or shortcomings

Ex: The public rejection humiliated him and shattered his confidence .

to belittle [verb]

to make something or someone seem less important

Ex: Parents should never belittle their children 's dreams , but encourage and support them .

to disgrace [verb]

to bring shame or dishonor on oneself or other people

Ex: The politician 's corrupt actions disgraced the entire government .

to look down on [verb]

to regard someone or something as inferior or unworthy of respect or consideration

Ex: The arrogant politician looked down on his opponents , dismissing their ideas as insignificant .

to humble [verb]

to make someone feel ashamed by reminding them of their weaknesses or limitations

Ex: The harsh criticism humbled him , prompting him to reflect on his actions and strive to be better .

to discredit [verb]

to make someone or something be no longer respected

Ex: The investigation 's findings discredited the previously respected company .

to bias [verb]

to unfairly influence or manipulate something or someone in favor of one particular opinion or point of view

Ex: The judge was accused of biasing the trial by showing favoritism towards the wealthy defendant .

to prejudice [verb]

to unfairly influence someone's opinion or judgment about someone or something

Ex: The media coverage prejudiced public opinion against the defendant before the trial even began .

to discriminate [verb]

to unfairly treat a person or group of people based on their sex, race, etc.

Ex: Discriminating against someone because of their race is a form of racism .

to disfavor [verb]

to disadvantage or harm someone or something by hindering their progress

Ex: The changes to the tax code disfavored low-income families , exacerbating economic inequality .

to persecute [verb]

to treat someone unfairly or cruelly, often because of their race, gender, religion, or beliefs

Ex: Throughout history , women have been persecuted for advocating for their rights and equality .

to marginalize [verb]

to treat a person, group, or concept as insignificant or of secondary or minor importance

Ex: The company 's policies inadvertently marginalized employees with disabilities , making it difficult for them to fully participate in the workplace .

to alienate [verb]

to make one feel isolated or hostile toward a person or group

Ex: The controversial comments alienated him from the rest of the group .

to single out [verb]

to focus on a particular person or thing from a group in either a positive or negative manner

Ex: The teacher did n't want to single out any student , so she addressed the entire class about the importance of completing assignments on time .

Verbs of Physical and Social Lifestyle
Verbs for the Cycle of Life	Verbs for the Sleep Cycle	Verbs for Relaxation	Verbs for Involuntary Actions
Verbs for Oral Actions	Verbs for Nourishment	Verbs for Body Language and Acts of Affection	Verbs for Visiting and Contacting
Verbs for Gathering	Verbs for Interpersonal Relations	Verbs for Mischief	Verbs for Deception
Verbs for Mistreatment