Term: treat





treat (verb/noun):

  • As a verb: to behave toward or deal with someone in a particular way; or to give medical care to someone.
  • As a noun: something special that you buy or do for someone (or yourself) that gives pleasure.

synonyms: (v) handle, manage, attend to; (n) delight, bonus. 

pronunciation: /triːt/ 

translationv: izturēties, ārstēt, cienāt; n: kārums, prieks, baudījums


Contextual Usage

  • Behavior: “You should treat others the way you want to be treated.”
  • Medical: “The doctor is treating her for a persistent cough.”
  • Hospitality/Gift: “I’ll treat you to lunch since it’s your birthday.” (meaning: I will pay for it).
  • Noun: “After a long week of work, a spa day was a real treat.”

Other words from this root

  • Treatment (noun): the way you deal with someone, or medical care.
  • Treatable (adjective): (of an illness) capable of being cured or managed.
  • Mistreat (verb): to treat someone badly or unfairly.

Common Idioms

IdiomMeaning
Trick or treatA phrase children say on Halloween to get candy.
Treat someone like royaltyTo give someone exceptionally good and attentive service.
A Dutch treatAn occasion where everyone pays for their own meal (going “Dutch”).
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
treat (verb)
intransitive verb
1.
to discuss terms of accommodation or settlement - negotiate
2.
to deal with a matter especially in writing - discourse usually used with of a book treating of conservation
3.
transitive verb
to pay another's expenses (as for a meal or drink) especially as a compliment or as an expression of regard or friendship
1.
a) to deal with in speech or writing - expound
b) to present or represent artistically
c) to deal with - handle food is plentiful and treated with imagination Cecil Beaton
2.
a) to bear oneself toward - use treat a horse cruelly
b) to regard and deal with in a specified manner - usually used with as treat the matter as confidential
3.
a) to provide with free food, drink, or entertainment - they treated us to lunch
b) to provide with enjoyment or gratification
4.
to care for or deal with medically or surgically - treat a disease
5.
to act upon with some agent especially to improve or alter - treat a metal with acid
treat (noun)
1.
a) an entertainment given without expense to those invited
b) the act of providing another with free food, drink, or entertainment - dinner will be my treat
2.
an especially unexpected source of joy, delight, or amusement - seeing her again was a treat
Merriam-Webster Online Thesaurus
treat (noun)
1.
a source of great satisfaction
SYNONYMS:
delectation, feast, gas, joy, kick, manna, pleasure, treat
RELATED WORDS:
amusement, diversion, entertainment, fun, recreation; comfort, relief, solace; gratification, indulgence; ambrosia
treat (noun)
2.
something that is pleasing to eat because it is rare or a luxury
SYNONYMS:
bit, cate, dainty, delectable, goody ( goodie), kickshaw, tidbit ( titbit), treat, viand
RELATED WORDS:
morsel; candy, dessert, junket, sweet, sweetmeat
treat (verb)
1.
to behave toward in a stated way
SYNONYMS:
act (toward), be (to), deal (with), handle, serve, use
RELATED WORDS:
consider, esteem, rate, reckon, regard, view; engage (with), react (to), respond (to)
do by
treat (verb)
2.
to deal with (something) usually skillfully or efficiently
SYNONYMS:
address, contend (with), cope (with), field, grapple (with), hack, manage, maneuver, manipulate, negotiate, play, swing, take, treat
RELATED WORDS:
engineer, finesse, jockey; bring off, carry off, carry out, get off, pull; command, direct, guide, steer; control, micromanage, regulate, run; react (to), respond (to)
NEAR ANTONYMS:
botch, bungle, foozle, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mess (up), mishandle, muff, scamp
treat (verb)
3.
to exchange viewpoints or seek advice for the purpose of finding a solution to a problem
SYNONYMS:
advise, confab, confabulate, consult, counsel, parley, powwow, treat
RELATED WORDS:
argue, bandy, bat (around), chew over, debate, deliberate, discuss, dispute, hash (over), kick around, moot, palaver, talk, talk over, ventilate; rehash; coach, guide, tutor; recommend, suggest; direct, refer (to)
treat (verb)
4.
to give medical treatment to
SYNONYMS:
treat
RELATED WORDS:
cure, heal, mend, rehabilitate, remedy; attend, care (for), dose, drug, hospitalize, minister (to), nurse
treat (verb)
to have (something) as a subject matter
SYNONYMS:
cover, deal (with), pertain (to), treat (of)
RELATED WORDS:
appertain (to), bear (on upon), refer (to), relate (to); advert (to), allude (to), cite, glance (upon), instance, mention, name, note, notice, quote, specify, touch (upon); offer, present; contain, embrace, encompass, entail, include, incorporate
NEAR ANTONYMS:
exclude, omit; disregard, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight, slur (over); brush (aside off), reject, shrug off
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