mishandle
/mɪsˈhændəl/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.71 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
9
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To deal with a situation incorrectly or ineffectively; to make a mistake in handling a situation.
Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "If you mishandle a fragile package, the contents may break."
- "The obvious advantages of this method of new motor vehicle delivery over long distances,, which the L.M.R. says dealers and ultimate customers are beginning to appreciate, are all-weather reliability, arrival in mint condition and with only a very small mileage "on the clock", and the assurance that the car has not been mishandled during its running-in period; […]."
- "The prime minister was accused of mishandling the diplomatic crisis."
- "Naturally, the wisdom of striking to remedy grievances was questioned; but there were few dissentients from the view that the Government and B.T.C. are mishandling the human relations involved."
- "On a summer visit back to the farm here where I grew up, I think I figured out the central problem with modern industrial agriculture. It’s not just that it produces unhealthy food, mishandles waste and overuses antibiotics in ways that harm us all."
- "Mr. Trump faces 31 counts of violating the Espionage Act, which makes it a crime to mishandle national security secrets."
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”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: mishandlen