Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense defiles, present participle defiling, past tense, past participle defiled
1. verb
To defile something that people think is important or holy means to do something to it or say something about it which is offensive.
[literary]
He had defiled the sacred name of the Holy Prophet. [VERB noun]
2. countable noun
A defile is a very narrow valley or passage, usually through mountains.
[formal]
Synonyms: gorge, pass, passage, way through More Synonyms of defile
More Synonyms of defile
defile in British English1
(dɪˈfaɪl)
verb(transitive)
1.
to make foul or dirty; pollute
2.
to tarnish or sully the brightness of; taint; corrupt
3.
to damage or sully (someone's good name, reputation, etc)
4.
to make unfit for ceremonial use; desecrate
5.
to violate the chastity of
Derived forms
defilement (deˈfilement)
noun
defiler (deˈfiler)
noun
Word origin
C14: from earlier defoilen (influenced by filen to file3), from Old French defouler to trample underfoot, abuse, from de- + fouler to tread upon; see full2
defile in British English2
(ˈdiːfaɪl, dɪˈfaɪl)
noun
1.
a narrow pass or gorge, esp one between two mountains
2.
a single file of soldiers, etc
verb
3. mainly military
to march or cause to march in single file
Word origin
C17: from French défilé, from défiler to file off, from filer to march in a column, from Old French: to spin, from fil thread, from Latin fīlum
defile in American English1
(diˈfaɪl; dɪˈfaɪl)
verb transitiveWord forms: deˈfiled or deˈfiling
1.
to make filthy or dirty; pollute
2.
to make ceremonially unclean
3.
to corrupt
4.
to profane or sully (as a person's name)
5. Archaic
to violate the chastity of; deflower
SIMILAR WORDS: conˈtamiˌnate
Derived forms
defilement (deˈfilement)
noun
defiler (deˈfiler)
noun
Word origin
ME defilen, altered (by assoc. with filen, to make foul < OE fylan < ful, foul) < defoulen < OFr defouler, to tread underfoot, insult < de-, intens. + fouler < ML fullare, to tread, full2
defile in American English2
(diˈfaɪl; dɪˈfaɪl; ˈdiˌfaɪl)
verb intransitiveWord forms: deˈfiled or deˈfiling
1.
to march in single file or by files
noun
2.
a narrow passage through which troops must defile
3.
any narrow valley or mountain pass
4.
a march in single file or by files
Word origin
Fr défiler, to file off, unravel < dé- (L de), from + filer, to form a line < fil, thread: see file1
Examples of 'defile' in a sentence
defile
Why'd you have to come here and... "the contempt deepened"... and... defile everything?
Clive Barker GALILEE (2001)
The defile was narrow, with the sensation of narrowing further rather than opening out as it neared the lake.
Thomas, Craig THE LAST RAVEN (2001)
1 (verb)
Definition
to make foul or dirty
He felt his father's memory had been defiled by the article.
Synonyms
degrade
No-one should feel degraded at their place of work.
stain
It was too late. Their reputation had been stained.
disgrace
These soldiers have disgraced their regiment.
sully
Reputations are easily sullied and business lost.
debase
I won't debase myself by answering that question.
dishonour
I don't want to dishonour the men and women who risk their lives to keep us safe.
besmirch
Lawyers can besmirch reputations.
smirch
2 (verb)
Definition
to make unfit for ceremonial use
Who gave you permission to defile this sacred place?
Synonyms
desecrate
She shouldn't have desecrated the picture of a religious leader
violate
Police are still searching for the people who violated the graves.
contaminate
abuse
pollute
a man accused of polluting the minds of children
profane
They have profaned the traditions of the Church.
dishonour
despoil
treat sacrilegiously
3 (verb)
Definition
to make foul or dirty
piles of old clothes defiled with excrement
Synonyms
dirty
He was afraid the dog's hairs might dirty the seats.
soil
Young people don't want to do things that soil their hands.
contaminate
The fishing waters have been contaminated with toxic wastes.
smear
a face covered by a heavy beard, smeared with dirt
pollute
beaches polluted by sewage pumped into the sea
taint
Rancid oil will taint the flavour.
tarnish
It never rusts or tarnishes.
make foul
smirch
befoul
4 (verb)
Synonyms
violate
abuse
People responsible for abusing prisoners must be held accountable.
rape
seduce
a young lacemaker seduced by an aristocrat
molest
He was accused of sexually molesting a colleague.
ravish (literary)
deflower
(noun)
Definition
a narrow pass or gorge
Synonyms
gorge
a steep path into Crete's Samaria Gorge
pass
The monastery is in a remote mountain pass.
passage
They elbowed a passage through the shoppers.
way through
gully
I could hear the stream flowing at the bottom of the gully.
ravine
The bus is said to have overturned and fallen into a ravine.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abuse
Definition
to ill-treat violently
People responsible for abusing prisoners must be held accountable.
Synonyms
ill-treat,
wrong,
damage,
hurt,
injure,
harm,
mar,
spoil,
oppress,
maul,
molest,
dump on (slang, US),
impose upon,
manhandle,
rough up,
brutalize,
shit on (taboo, slang),
maltreat,
misapply,
handle roughly,
knock about or around
in the sense of besmirch
Definition
to tarnish (someone's name or reputation)
Lawyers can besmirch reputations.
Synonyms
tarnish,
damage,
soil,
stain,
smear,
taint,
blacken,
daub,
slander,
sully,
dishonour,
defame,
drag through the mud,
smirch
in the sense of contaminate
Definition
to make impure
The fishing waters have been contaminated with toxic wastes.