to abuse
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to physically abuse
To repeatedly or severely commit physical violence against a person or animal and cause pain or injury.
Er wurde angeklagt, weil er seinen Hund schwer misshandelt haben soll.
He was charged because he is alleged to have severely abused his dog.
The verb consists of the prefix 'miss-' and the stem 'handeln' (to act/deal). The prefix 'miss-' always expresses something negative, wrong, or bad. 'Misshandeln' therefore literally means 'schlecht behandeln' (to treat badly).
Es ist verboten, Tiere zu misshandeln.
It is forbidden to abuse animals.
'Misshandeln' is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'miss-' remains firmly attached to the verb in all tenses and sentence constructions. The past participle is formed without 'ge-': 'hat misshandelt' (has abused).
Er hat seine Frau jahrelang misshandelt.
He abused his wife for years.
The verb 'misshandeln' (to abuse) always requires a direct object in the accusative. This object is the person or animal that suffers the bad treatment.
Der Täter hat sein Opfer schwer misshandelt.
The perpetrator severely abused his victim.
To make clear that psychological violence is meant, adverbs such as 'seelisch' (emotionally) or 'psychisch' (psychologically) are often added. Without such an addition, 'misshandeln' is often understood as physical violence.
Er hat sie nicht geschlagen, aber psychisch misshandelt.
He did not hit her, but he emotionally abused her.
to hit / beat
'schlagen' and 'misshandeln' can both describe physical violence against a person or an animal. However, 'schlagen' usually refers to a single violent movement, for example with the hand or with an object. 'misshandeln' is stronger and more serious. It means that someone experiences severe or repeated violence and suffers pain or injuries as a result. Learners may confuse the words because both have to do with violence. A simple guideline is: a single blow is 'schlagen'; severe or repeated violence is more likely called 'misshandeln'.
Die Polizei ermittelt, weil ein Hund über längere Zeit misshandelt wurde.
The police are investigating because a dog was abused over a long period of time.
Der Junge hat im Streit gegen die Tür geschlagen.
During the argument, the boy hit the door.