treat
treet
Treat (verb) means to behave toward someone or something in a particular way. Example: “She treats her employees with respect.”
verb
1
To behave toward someone or something in a particular way.
"She treats her employees with respect."
"Please treat the library books gently so others can enjoy them."
"He felt the shop treated him unfairly when it refused a refund."
2
To give medical care to a person or condition.
"The doctor treated the wound and sent him home."
"The nurse treats patients with burns every day on her ward."
"Antibiotics can treat many kinds of infection."
3
To pay for someone's food, drink, or entertainment as a gift.
"Let me treat you to dinner for your birthday."
"I'm going to treat myself to a coffee after this long meeting."
"My uncle treated the whole family to ice cream at the beach."
noun
1
Something special and enjoyable, often a snack or small gift.
"The kids got a treat for finishing their homework."
"A trip to the seaside was a real treat for the whole class."
"Chocolate is my favourite treat after a long and tiring week."
How to use treat
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo treat someone is to act toward them a certain way, give them medical care, or pay for something nice for them; a treat (noun) is that nice thing itself.
Common pairings
treat someone well
treat a patient
treat yourself
a special treat
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Word forms
- Plural
- treats
- Third person singular
- treats
- Past tense
- treated, tret
- Archaic forms
- treatest, treatedst, treateth
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She _____ her employees with respect.
Etymology
From Old French traitier, ultimately from Latin tractāre, "to handle or manage" — related to "tract" and "traction."
Synonyms
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Rhymes for treat
See all rhymes for treat →Frequently asked questions
What does “treat” mean?
The word “treat” means to behave toward someone or something in a particular way. In plain terms, to treat someone is to act toward them a certain way, give them medical care, or pay for something nice for them; a treat (noun) is that nice thing itself.
How do you pronounce “treat”?
“Treat” is pronounced treet (/tɹiːt/ in IPA).
How do you use “treat” in a sentence?
Here is “treat” used in a sentence: “She treats her employees with respect.”
What part of speech is “treat”?
Depending on how it is used, “treat” can be a verb and a noun.
Where does the word “treat” come from?
The word “treat” comes from Latin. From Old French traitier, ultimately from Latin tractāre, "to handle or manage" — related to "tract" and "traction.".
Is “treat” a common word?
“Treat” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “treat” have?
“Treat” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to behave toward someone or something in a particular way.
What are the different meanings of 'treat'?
'Treat' has several senses. It can mean to behave toward someone in a certain way ('treat people kindly'), to give medical care ('treat a patient'), to deal with a subject ('the book treats history'), to apply a process ('treat wood against rot'), or to pay for someone's enjoyment ('treat a friend to lunch').
What does it mean to treat someone well?
It means behaving toward them with kindness, fairness, and respect in your words and actions. Treating someone well covers how you speak to them, whether you consider their feelings, and how fairly you act. The phrase focuses on conduct — the manner of your behavior toward a person — rather than any single gift or favor.
What is an example of 'treat' in a sentence?
In the behavior sense, you might say, 'She treats her staff with respect.' Other senses appear in 'Doctors treated his injuries,' 'Please treat this as confidential,' and 'I'll treat you to dinner.' Each uses treat differently — behaving toward, giving care, regarding something a certain way, or paying for a pleasure.
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