treat

/trit/

/trit/

Other forms: treated; treating; treats

If you've been working hard and living thriftily for months on end, give yourself a treat: take the night off and go out to dinner and a movie.

One sense of treat has to do with pleasures and special occasions. You might treat your mother to a pedicure, or give your dog a tasty treat. Treat can also mean "to carry on negotiations," (the meaning that feeds into treaty), or "to take care of." A doctor treats your illness with medication. If you treat a boy as an adult, that means you act as though he is one, even if he's only 16. Treat him carefully!

Definitions of treat
  1. verb
    subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition
    “treat the water so it can be drunk”
    “treat the lawn with chemicals”
    “treat an oil spill”
    synonyms: process
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    types:
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    propagate
    cause to propagate, as by grafting or layering
    iodise, iodize
    treat with iodine
    nitrate
    treat with nitric acid, so as to change an organic compound into a nitrate
    tank
    treat in a tank
    aerate, oxygenate, oxygenise, oxygenize
    impregnate, combine, or supply with oxygen
    mercerise, mercerize
    treat to strengthen and improve the luster
    malt
    treat with malt or malt extract
    fluoridate, fluoridise, fluoridize
    subject to fluoridation; treat with fluoride
    creosote
    treat with creosote
    chlorinate
    treat or combine with chlorine
    carbonate
    treat with carbon dioxide
    camphorate
    treat with camphor
    bromate, brominate
    treat with bromine
    ammoniate
    treat with ammonia
    irradiate, ray
    expose to radiation
    scald
    treat with boiling water
    refine
    treat or prepare so as to put in a usable condition
    nitrify, nitrogenise, nitrogenize
    treat with nitrogen or a nitrogen compound
    reverberate
    treat, process, heat, melt, or refine in a reverberatory furnace
    curry
    treat by incorporating fat
    seed
    sprinkle with silver iodide particles to disperse and cause rain
    dose
    treat with an agent; add (an agent) to
    sulfur, sulphur
    treat with sulphur in order to preserve
    vulcanise, vulcanize
    subject to vulcanization
    chrome
    treat with a chromium compound
    bituminise, bituminize
    treat with bitumen
    Agenise, Agenize
    age or bleach flour with Agene (nitrogen trichloride)
    run
    cause to perform
    carboxylate
    treat (a chemical compound) with carboxyl or carboxylic acid
    beneficiate
    process (ores or other raw materials), as by reduction
    digest
    convert food into absorbable substances
    fume, fumigate
    treat with fumes, expose to fumes, especially with the aim of disinfecting or eradicating pests
    air-condition
    control the humidity and temperature of
    inoculate
    insert a bud for propagation
    bombard
    direct high energy particles or radiation against
    rerun
    cause to perform again
    stomach
    bear to eat
    predigest
    digest (food) beforehand
    type of:
    affect, bear on, bear upon, impact, touch, touch on
    have an effect upon
  2. verb
    provide treatment for
    “The doctor treated my broken leg”
    “The patient must be treated right away or she will die”
    “Treat the infection with antibiotics”
    synonyms: care for
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    hyperventilate
    produce hyperventilation in
    massage
    give a massage to
    purge
    excrete or evacuate (someone's bowels or body)
    correct
    treat a defect
    insufflate
    treat by blowing a powder or vapor into a bodily cavity
    detox, detoxify
    treat for alcohol or drug dependence
    irrigate
    supply with a constant flow or sprinkling of some liquid, for the purpose of cooling, cleansing, or disinfecting
    iodise, iodize
    treat with iodine so as to prevent infection
    doctor
    give medical treatment to
    vet
    provide (a person) with medical care
    nurse
    try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury
    manipulate
    treat manually, as with massage, for therapeutic purposes
    administer, dispense
    give or apply (medications)
    relieve, remedy
    provide relief for
    dress
    apply a bandage or medication to
    splint
    support with a splint
    operate, operate on
    perform surgery on
    medicate, medicine
    treat medicinally, treat with medicine
    bleed, leech, phlebotomise, phlebotomize
    draw blood
    cup, transfuse
    treat by applying evacuated cups to the patient's skin
    shock
    subject to electrical shocks
    pack
    treat the body or any part of it by wrapping it, as with blankets or sheets, and applying compresses to it, or stuffing it to provide cover, containment, or therapy, or to absorb blood
    burn, cauterise, cauterize
    burn, sear, or freeze (tissue) using a hot iron or electric current or a caustic agent
    analyse, analyze, psychoanalyse, psychoanalyze
    subject to psychoanalytic treatment
    desex, desexualise, desexualize, fix, sterilise, sterilize, unsex
    make infertile
    face-lift, lift
    perform cosmetic surgery on someone's face
    trephine
    operate on with a trephine
    vet
    provide veterinary care for
    transfuse
    give a transfusion (e.g., of blood) to
    digitalize
    administer digitalis such that the patient benefits maximally without getting adverse effects
    plaster, poultice
    dress by covering with a therapeutic substance
    bandage
    dress by covering or binding
    venesect
    practice venesection
    dose, drug
    administer a drug to
    salve
    apply a salve to, usually for the purpose of healing
    inject, shoot
    give an injection to
    galvanise, galvanize
    stimulate (muscles) by administering a shock
    give
    give (as medicine)
  3. verb
    provide with a gift or entertainment
    “Grandmother always treated us to the circus”
    “I like to treat myself to a day at a spa when I am depressed”
    Synonyms:
    regale
    provide with choice or abundant food or drink
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    type of:
    gift, give, present
    give as a present; make a gift of
  4. verb
    provide with choice or abundant food or drink
    “She treated her houseguests with good food every night”
    synonyms: regale
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    types:
    wine
    treat to wine
    alcoholise, alcoholize
    subject to the influence of alcohol
    feast, feed
    gratify
    type of:
    cater, ply, provide, supply
    give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance
  5. noun
    an occurrence that causes special pleasure or delight
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    type of:
    happening, natural event, occurrence, occurrent
    an event that happens
  6. noun
    something considered choice to eat
    synonyms: dainty, delicacy, goody, kickshaw
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    types:
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    choice morsel, tidbit, titbit
    a small tasty bit of food
    savory, savoury
    an aromatic or spicy dish served at the end of dinner or as an hors d'oeuvre
    confection, sweet
    a food rich in sugar
    ambrosia, nectar
    (classical mythology) the food and drink of the gods; mortals who ate it became immortal
    gelatin, jelly
    an edible jelly (sweet or pungent) made with gelatin and used as a dessert or salad base or a coating for foods
    bone marrow, marrow
    very tender and very nutritious tissue from marrowbones
    calf's-foot jelly
    a savory jelly made with gelatin obtained by boiling calves' feet
    confectionery
    candy and other sweets considered collectively
    confiture
    preserved or candied fruit
    sweetmeat
    a sweetened delicacy (as a preserve or pastry)
    candy, confect
    a rich sweet made of flavored sugar and often combined with fruit or nuts
    hardbake
    a British sweet made with molasses and butter and almonds
    chewing gum, gum
    a preparation (usually made of sweetened chicle) for chewing
    candied apple, candy apple, caramel apple, taffy apple, toffee apple
    an apple that is covered with a candy-like substance (usually caramelized sugar)
    center, centre
    the sweet central portion of a piece of candy that is enclosed in chocolate or some other covering
    comfit
    candy containing a fruit or nut
    maraschino, maraschino cherry
    cherry preserved in true or imitation maraschino liqueur
    nonpareil
    colored beads of sugar used as a topping on e.g. candies and cookies
    gelatin dessert
    jellied dessert made with gelatin and fruit juice or water
    aspic
    savory jelly based on fish or meat stock used as a mold for meats or vegetables
    type of:
    aliment, alimentation, nourishment, nutriment, nutrition, sustenance, victuals
    a source of materials to nourish the body
  7. verb
    regard or consider in a specific way
    “I treated his advances as a joke”
    Synonyms:
    do by, handle
    interact in a certain way
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    type of:
    react, respond
    show a response or a reaction to something
  8. verb
    interact in a certain way
    “Treat him with caution, please”
    synonyms: do by, handle
    address, cover, deal, handle, plow
    act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
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    bemock, mock
    treat with contempt
    cut, disregard, ignore, snub
    refuse to acknowledge
    wrong
    treat unjustly; do wrong to
    handle with kid gloves
    handle with great care and sensitivity
    criminalize
    treat as a criminal
    nurse
    treat carefully
    strong-arm
    handle roughly
    ride roughshod, run roughshod
    treat inconsiderately or harshly
    upstage
    treat snobbishly, put in one's place
    rough-house
    treat in a rough or boisterous manner
    brutalise, brutalize
    treat brutally
    do well by
    treat with respect and consideration
    gloss over, skate over, skimp over, slur over, smooth over
    treat hurriedly or avoid dealing with properly
    abuse, ill-treat, ill-use, maltreat, mistreat, step
    treat badly
    baby, cocker, coddle, cosset, featherbed, indulge, mollycoddle, pamper, spoil
    treat with excessive indulgence
    bait, cod, rag, rally, razz, ride, tantalise, tantalize, taunt, tease, twit
    harass with persistent criticism or carping
    blackguard, guy, jest at, laugh at, make fun, poke fun, rib, ridicule, roast
    subject to laughter or ridicule
    deride
    treat or speak of with contempt
    aggrieve
    infringe on the rights of
    kick around
    treat badly; abuse
    sandbag
    treat harshly or unfairly
    victimise, victimize
    make a victim of
    type of:
    interact
    act together or towards others or with others
  9. verb
    act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
    “The new book treats the history of China”
    synonyms: address, cover, deal, handle, plow
    do by, handle
    interact in a certain way
    comprehend, cover, embrace, encompass
    include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory
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    theologise, theologize
    treat from a theological viewpoint or render theological in character
    discourse, discuss, talk about
    consider or examine in speech or writing
    descant
    talk at great length about something of one's interest
    talk shop
    discuss matters that are related to work
    type of:
    broach, initiate, moot
    bring up a topic for discussion
  10. verb
    engage in negotiations in order to reach an agreement
    “they had to treat with the King”
    see moresee less
    type of:
    negociate
    confer with another in order to come to terms or reach an agreement
Pronunciation
US

/trit/
UK

/trit/
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘treat'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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