deal with

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

deal with (third-person singular simple present deals with, present participle dealing with, simple past and past participle dealt with)

1. (transitive) To handle verbally or in some form of artistic expression; to address or discuss as a subject.

   Synonyms: address, cover, handle, plough, treat

   This book deals with incest.

2. (transitive) To take action with respect to (someone or something).

   Synonyms: engage, handle, take on, work

   • 1964 September, “Motive Power Miscellany: BR Workshops”, in Modern Railways, page 220:

     Work on anti-frost precautions on diesel locomotives is to be speeded up to ensure that most if not all locomotives have been dealt with before the winter sets in.

   • 2013 August 10, “Can China clean up fast enough?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:

     It is therefore dealing with pollution in two ways—suppression and mitigation.

   The teacher knew how to deal with these lazy students.

3. (transitive) To consider, as an example.

   Synonyms: consider, look at, take

   Let us deal with the case of China.

4. (transitive) To come to terms with; to overcome any difficulties presented by.

   We deal with having just a gallon of gas.

   Thankfully he'd dealt with such issues before, so he had all the necessary experience.

5. (transitive) To be in charge of, act on, or dispose of.

   Synonyms: care for, handle, look after, manage, take care of

   I can deal with this crew of workers.

6. (transitive) To behave in a certain way towards.

   He deals fairly with his employees.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Ezekiel 23:25:

     And I will set my ielousie against thee, and they shall deale furiously with thee: they shall take away thy nose and thine eares, and thy remnant shall fall by the sword: they shall take thy sonnes and thy daughters, and thy residue shal be deuoured by the fire.

Synonyms

• (come to terms with successfully): come to terms with, contend with, cope with, get by with, grapple with, make do with, make out with, manage with
• (behave in a certain way towards): interact with

Translations

handle verbally or in some form of artistic expression

• Dutch: behandelen (nl)
• Finnish: käsitellä (fi)
• French: traiter (fr)
• German: behandeln (de)

• Irish: pléigh le
• Norwegian: handle om
• Spanish: tratar (es)
• Swedish: behandla (sv), handla om

take action with respect to (someone or something)

• Dutch: behandelen (nl)
• Finnish: hoitaa (fi), käsitellä (fi)
• French: avoir affaire à (fr), aborder (fr)
• Georgian: გამკლავება (gamḳlaveba)
• German: sich auseinandersetzen (de) mit
• Irish: pléigh le

• Italian: fare i conti
• Latin: tractō (la)
• Norman: souongni dé
• Old English: ātēon
• Polish: załatwiać (pl) impf, załatwić (pl) pf
• Portuguese: lidar (pt)
• Russian: справляться с (spravlját’sja s)
• Spanish: tratar (es)
• Swedish: ta hand om (sv), ta itu med (sv)

consider, as of an example

• Polish: rozważać (pl) impf, rozważyć (pl) pf, rozpatrywać (pl) impf, rozpatrzyć (pl) pf
• Russian: рассма́тривать (ru) (rassmátrivatʹ)

• Swedish: beakta (sv)

come to terms with successfully

• French: gérer (fr)
• Polish: radzić sobie (pl) impf, poradzić sobie (pl) pf

• Spanish: tratar con (es)
• Swedish: hantera (sv), klara av (sv)

be in charge of, act on or dispose of

• Swedish: hantera (sv), behandla (sv)

behave in a certain way towards

• Dutch: omgaan met
• Russian: поступать с (postupát’ s)

• Spanish: tratar (es)
• Swedish: behandla (sv)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} tramitar (es)