Mishandle
/mɪsˈhændəl/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Rough manipulation which causes physical damage. countable, uncountable
- 2 Ineffective or incorrect deal. countable, uncountable
- 3 Improper, wrong, or bad usage or treatment; abuse. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To manipulate something roughly, causing physical damage. transitive
"If you mishandle a fragile package, the contents may break."
- 2 manage badly or incompetently wordnet
- 3 To deal with a situation incorrectly or ineffectively; to make a mistake in handling a situation. transitive
"The prime minister was accused of mishandling the diplomatic crisis."
- 4 make a mess of, destroy or ruin wordnet
Example
More examples"Be careful not to drop or mishandle your tortoise."
Etymology
From Middle English mishandlen, equivalent to mis- + handle. Cognate with Saterland Frisian mishondelje, West Frisian mishandelje, Dutch mishandelen (“to mistreat”), German misshandeln (“to mistreat”).