From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishtreattreat1 /triːt/ ●●● S2 W1 verb [transitive] 1 behave towards somebody/something [always + adverb/preposition]TREAT/BEHAVE TOWARDS to behave towards someone or something in a particular way → treatmenttreat somebody like/as something She treats me like one of the family. Penny doesn’t think her co-workers treat her as an equal. He treated his automobiles almost as tenderly as he did his wife.badly treated/well treated The prisoners were well treated by their guards.treat somebody with respect/contempt/courtesy etc Despite her seniority, Margot was never treated with much respect.treat somebody like dirt/a dog (=treat someone unkindly and without respect) I don’t know why he stays with her – she treats him like dirt.2 deal with something [always + adverb/preposition]DEAL WITH to deal with, regard, or consider something in a particular way → treatmenttreat something as something Please treat this information as completely confidential. She treats everything I say as a joke.treat something favourably/seriously/carefully etc Any complaint about safety standards must be treated very seriously.3 illness/injuryCURE to try to cure an illness or injury by using drugs, hospital care, operations etc → treatment It was difficult to treat patients because of a shortage of medicine.treat somebody/something with something Nowadays, malaria can be treated with drugs.4 buy something for somebodyBUY to buy or do something special for someone that you know they will enjoytreat somebody to something We treated Mom to lunch at the Savoy. I treated myself to a new dress.5 protect/cleanCHANGE/MAKE something DIFFERENT to put a special substance on something or use a chemical process in order to protect, clean, or preserve it → treatment sewage treated so that it can be used as fertilizer → trick or treatCOLLOCATIONSadverbswellThe majority of workers are well treated.badlyWhy did he treat me so badly?fairly/unfairlyI just want to be treated fairly.equallyAll people should be treated equally, whatever their age.differentlyShould girls be treated differently from boys in school?harshlyThe guards treated the prisoners harshly.kindlyThe world had not treated him kindly.phrasestreat somebody with respect/contempt/suspicion etcWhen you treat the kids with respect, they act responsibly.treat somebody like dirt informal (=very badly and with no respect)He treated this wife like dirt. → See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
treat• Let's all go to a movie - my treat.• In remote areas, make sure your drinking water has been treated.• It means treating a viewer with respect.• Police say that her death is being treated as suspicious.• Glen treated Cathy to dinner at one of the best restaurants in town.• Makine is a good writer, poetic but never fanciful, and one who treats childhood reflected through experience with delicacy.• That stereotype speaks less for women's liberation than a society which treats children as a disruptive influence, a social nuisance.• I don't know what she sees in him - he treats her like dirt.• Doctors are treating him for cancer.• Amy's treated him really badly - no wonder he's upset.• I occasionally have to treat him.• Police said 36 people were arrested, mainly for public order offences, and four casualties were treated in hospital.• Whales, forests, and aquifers have been treated in the same way.• I have been very kindly treated in your lovely City, and everyone has been good to me.• No one would suggest that sex offenders should be treated lightly.• After my nervous breakdown, everyone kept treating me with kid gloves.• I'm sick of my parents treating my like a child.• The school are treating this matter very seriously.• The company treats training as a continuous part of career development.• Many common infections can be treated with antibiotics.• Douglas was treated with much more respect after his promotion.• Some sleep problems can be temporarily treated with sleeping pills.• As it's your birthday, I thought I'd treat you.treat somebody like/as something• Mom still treats us like children.• Debbie was always treated as one of the boys.treat something as something• Authorities are treating every bomb threat as real.• She treats everything I say as some kind of joke.treat somebody to something• Guests were treated to wine and caviar at the reception.treattreat2 ●●● S3 noun 1 [countable]GIVE something special that you give someone or do for them because you know they will enjoy itas a treat Steven took his son to a cricket match as a birthday treat.2 [singular]ENJOY/LIKE DOING something an event that gives you a lot of pleasure and is usually unexpected When we were kids, a trip to the beach was a real treat.3 [countable] a special food that tastes good, especially one that you do not eat very often The cafe serves an assortment of gourmet treats.4 → my treat5 → go down a treat6 → look/work a treatExamples from the Corpus
treat• Afterwards, Uncle Ted, who had his suit and Brylcreem on, announced a treat.• Many women think of facials as a treat.• If the meticulous and demanding rescue work succeeds, birdwatchers using the hide will be in for a treat.• Listening to trombonist Slide Hampton is a treat.• The cafe serves a surprising assortment of healthy gourmet treats.• Let me take you to dinner. My treat.• We hope the trend continues, until such aural excursions become a regular happening rather than a rare treat.• A visit to a good playground is a real treat, offering our children fun and adventure.• Grunte's treat that evening at the Hospitality Inn was well timed.• Tempe Mayor Neil Giuliano got a special treat.• He carefully cuts away the spines and skin protecting the seedy red fruit within, affording a sloppy stolen treat.• Keep within your 100 calories limit, but, if you choose carefully, you could have two treats!as a treat• Save the abbey as a treat for the end of your walk.• The tiling problem, as treated by Wang, Berger, and Robinson, used tiles based on squares.real treat• Every morning he prepares a range of at least 20 sweets, which go down a real treat.• The first outsiders were in for a real treat.• The one score and three who turned up to see the morning game against Dorning had a real treat.• A visit to a good playground is a real treat, offering our children fun and adventure.• The occasional trip to a swimming pool is a real treat for most families.• Porridge with golden syrup was a real treat in Walworth.• This was a real treat for me.• But the real treat is the new Stockholm to Gothenberg Express, the D2000.From Longman Business Dictionarytreattreat /triːt/ verb [transitive]1to deal with someone or something in a particular wayWe treat all complaints very seriously.treat somebody/something asProceeds from the asset transfers won’t be treated as income.Some information ought to betreated as confidential.2to put a special substance on something to clean or protect it, or to make it safeThe convention insists that countries should treat their own hazardous wastes.→ See Verb tableOrigin treat1 (1200-1300) Old French traitier, from Latin tractare; → TRACTABLE 