Standard Lemma guide

ill-usage

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

bad, cruel or unkind treatment

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

cruel or inhumane treatment

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the child showed signs of physical abuse

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: maltreatment, ill-treatment, abuse

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: mistreatment

Narrower terms: child abuse, child neglect, persecution, cruelty, inhuman treatment

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Old Armenian: լլկանք (llkankʻ) — bad, cruel or unkind treatment
  • Old Armenian: չարիք (čʻarikʻ) — bad, cruel or unkind treatment
  • Irish: ainíde — bad, cruel or unkind treatment
  • Irish: drochbhail — bad, cruel or unkind treatment
  • Irish: drochíde — bad, cruel or unkind treatment
  • Irish: íde — bad, cruel or unkind treatment
  • Irish: íospairt — bad, cruel or unkind treatment
  • Irish: oidhe — bad, cruel or unkind treatment
  • Irish: raiceáil — bad, cruel or unkind treatment