Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense mangles, present participle mangling, past tense, past participle mangled
1. verb [usually passive]
If a physical object is mangled, it is crushed or twisted very forcefully, so that it is difficult to see what its original shape was.
His body was crushed and mangled beyond recognition. [beVERB-ed]
...the mangled wreckage. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: crush, mutilate, maim, deform More Synonyms of mangle
2. verb
If you say that someone mangles words or information, you are criticizing them for not speaking or writing clearly or correctly.
[disapproval]
There is almost no phrase so simple that he cannot mangle it. [VERB noun]
They don't know what they're talking about and mangle scientific information. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: ruin, murder [informal], mar, spoil More Synonyms of mangle
3. countable noun
A mangle is an old-fashioned machine for removing water from clothes that have been washed. The clothes are squeezed between two wooden cylinders.
mangle in British English1
(ˈmæŋɡəl)
verb(transitive)
1.
to mutilate, disfigure, or destroy by cutting, crushing, or tearing
2.
to ruin, spoil, or mar
Derived forms
mangled (ˈmangled)
adjective
mangler (ˈmangler)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Norman French mangler, probably from Old French mahaignier to maim
mangle in British English2
(ˈmæŋɡəl)
noun
1. Also called: wringer
a machine for pressing or drying wet textiles, clothes, etc, consisting of two heavy rollers between which the cloth is passed
verb(transitive)
2.
to press or dry in a mangle
Word origin
C18: from Dutch mangel, ultimately from Late Latin manganum. See mangonel
mangle in American English1
(ˈmæŋgəl)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈmangled or ˈmangling
1.
to mutilate or disfigure by repeatedly and roughly cutting, tearing, hacking, or crushing; lacerate and bruise badly
2.
to spoil; botch; mar; garble
to mangle a text
SIMILAR WORDS: maim
Derived forms
mangler (ˈmangler)
noun
Word origin
ME manglen < Anglo-Fr mangler, prob. freq. of OFr mehaigner, UNRESOLVED CROSS REF
mangle in American English2
(ˈmæŋgəl)
noun
1.
a machine for pressing and smoothing cloth, esp. sheets and other flat pieces, between heated rollers
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈmangled or ˈmangling
2.
to press in a mangle
Derived forms
mangler (ˈmangler)
noun
Word origin
Du mangel < Ger < MHG, dim. of mange, a mangle < L manganum < Gr manganon, war machine, orig. deceptive device < IE base *meng-, to embellish deceptively > MIr meng, deceit, L mango, falsifying dealer
Examples of 'mangle' in a sentence
mangle
The mangled wreckage of the stricken craft was such that rescue teams had not found him.
The Sun (2008)
Shocking pictures showed the charred and mangled wreckage wrapped around a tree.
The Sun (2013)
Rescuers cut through mangled wreckage to reach survivors.
The Sun (2012)
Cops hunting them found the car a mangled wreck on a tight bend close to a motorway.
The Sun (2009)
Emergency workers cut open the train's roof to get to dozens trapped in the mangled wreckage.
The Sun (2012)
We moved him onto the board and worked with the ambulance service to move him across the mangled car wreck onto the hard shoulder.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It is mangled beyond recognition.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Rescuers had to bring in a HGV crane to remove the mangled wreck.
The Sun (2013)
A licence would not have helped the fatally injured cyclist whose bike was a mangled wreck under the wheels of the lorry in your shocking photograph.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Clue: Has your car got a mangled wreck of glass and metal where its boot used to be?
The Sun (2009)
In other languages
mangle
British English: mangle VERB
If a physical object is mangled, it is crushed or twisted very forcefully, so that it is difficult to see what its original shape was.
The car was crushed and mangled beyond recognition.
American English: mangle
Brazilian Portuguese: destroçar
Chinese: 严重损毁
European Spanish: destrozar
French: déchiqueter
German: übel zurichten
Italian: distruggere
Japanese: めちゃくちゃになった
Korean: 으스러지다
European Portuguese: destroçar
Latin American Spanish: destrozar
Chinese translation of 'mangle'
mangle
(ˈmæŋɡl)
vt
(= twist, crush) 压(壓)损(損) (yāsǔn)
1 (verb)
Definition
to destroy or damage by crushing and twisting
After being crushed, the car was mangled beyond all recognition.
Synonyms
crush
mutilate
His arm was mutilated in an industrial accident.
maim
One man has lost his life; another has been maimed.
deform
Severe rheumatoid arthritis deforms limbs.
cut
total (slang)
tear
Canine teeth are for tearing flesh.
destroy
The building was completely destroyed.
ruin
Roads have been destroyed and crops ruined.
mar
rend
wreck
Vandals wrecked the garden.
spoil
butcher
I am not in Cannes because they butchered my film.
cripple
A total cut-off of supplies would cripple the country's economy.
hack
He desperately hacked through the undergrowth.
Several trees were hacked down with machetes.
distort
Make sure the image isn't distorted by lumps and bumps.
trash (slang)
Would they trash the place when the party was over?
maul
He has been mauled by a cat.
disfigure
These items could be used to injure or disfigure someone.
lacerate
Its claws lacerated his thighs.
mangulate (Australian, slang)
2 (verb)
Definition
to spoil
There is almost no phrase so simple that he cannot mangle it.
Synonyms
ruin
The original decor was all ruined during renovation.
murder (informal)
She murdered the song.
mar
The scar didn't mar his self-confidence, he rather liked it.
spoil
It is important not to let mistakes spoil your life.
bungle
Two prisoners bungled an escape bid last night
screw up (informal)
mess up
make a hash of (informal)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bungle
Definition
to spoil (an operation) through clumsiness or incompetence
Two prisoners bungled an escape bid last night
Synonyms
mess up,
blow (slang),
ruin,
spoil,
blunder,
fudge,
screw up (informal),
botch,
cock up (British, slang),
fuck up (offensive, taboo, slang),
miscalculate,
make a mess of,
mismanage,
muff,
foul up,
make a nonsense of (informal),
bodge (informal),
make a pig's ear of (informal),
flub (US, slang),
crool or cruel (Australian, slang),
louse up (slang)
in the sense of butcher
Definition
to make a mess of
I am not in Cannes because they butchered my film.
Synonyms
mess up,
destroy,
ruin,
wreck,
spoil,
mutilate,
botch,
bodge (informal)
in the sense of cripple
Definition
to damage (something)
A total cut-off of supplies would cripple the country's economy.
Synonyms
damage,
destroy,
ruin,
bring to a standstill,
halt,
spoil,
cramp,
impair,
put paid to,
vitiate,
put out of action
Nearby words of
mangle
manful
manfully
manger
mangle
mangy
manhandle
manhood
Synonyms of 'mangle'
mangle
Explore 'mangle' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of deform
Definition
to put (something) out of shape or spoil its appearance
Severe rheumatoid arthritis deforms limbs.
Synonyms
disfigure,
twist,
injure,
cripple,
ruin,
mar,
spoil,
mutilate,
maim,
deface
in the sense of destroy
Definition
to ruin
The building was completely destroyed.
Synonyms
ruin,
smash,
crush,
waste,
devastate,
break down,
wreck,
shatter,
gut,
wipe out,
dispatch,
dismantle,
demolish,
trash (slang),
total (slang),
ravage,
slay (archaic, literary),
eradicate,
torpedo,
extinguish,
desolate,
annihilate,
put paid to,
raze,
blow to bits,
extirpate (archaic),
blow sky-high
in the sense of disfigure
Definition
to spoil the appearance or shape of
These items could be used to injure or disfigure someone.
Synonyms
damage,
scar,
mutilate,
maim,
injure,
wound,
deform
in the sense of distort
Definition
to twist out of shape
Make sure the image isn't distorted by lumps and bumps.
Synonyms
deform,
bend,
twist,
warp,
buckle,
mangle,
mangulate (Australian, slang),
disfigure,
contort,
gnarl,
misshape,
malform
in the sense of hack
Definition
to cut and clear (a way) through undergrowth
He desperately hacked through the undergrowth.Several trees were hacked down with machetes.
Synonyms
cut,
chop,
slash,
mutilate,
mangle,
mangulate (Australian, slang),
gash,
hew,
lacerate
in the sense of lacerate
Definition
to tear (the flesh) jaggedly
Its claws lacerated his thighs.
Synonyms
tear,
cut,
wound,
rend (literary),
rip,
slash,
claw,
maim,
mangle,
mangulate (Australian, slang),
gash,
jag
in the sense of maim
Definition
to injure badly or cruelly, with some permanent damage resulting
One man has lost his life; another has been maimed.
Synonyms
cripple,
hurt,
injure,
wound,
disable,
hamstring,
impair,
lame,
mutilate,
incapacitate,
put out of action
in the sense of mar
Definition
to spoil or be the one bad feature of
The scar didn't mar his self-confidence, he rather liked it.
Synonyms
ruin,
injure,
spoil,
scar,
flaw,
impair,
mutilate,
detract from,
maim,
deform,
blemish,
mangle,
disfigure,
deface
in the sense of maul
Definition
to tear with the claws
He has been mauled by a cat.
Synonyms
mangle,
claw,
lacerate,
tear,
mangulate (Australian, slang)
in the sense of murder
Definition
to ruin a piece of music or drama by performing it very badly
She murdered the song.
Synonyms
ruin,
destroy,
mar,
spoil,
butcher,
mangle
Additional synonyms
in the sense of mutilate
Definition
to injure by tearing or cutting off a limb or essential part
His arm was mutilated in an industrial accident.
Synonyms
maim,
damage,
injure,
disable,
butcher,
cripple,
hack,
lame,
cut up,
mangle,
mangulate (Australian, slang),
dismember,
disfigure,
lacerate,
cut to pieces
in the sense of spoil
Definition
to make (something) less valuable, beautiful, or useful
It is important not to let mistakes spoil your life.
Synonyms
ruin,
destroy,
wreck,
damage,
total (slang),
blow (slang),
injure,
upset,
harm,
mar,
scar,
undo,
trash (slang),
impair,
mess up,
blemish,
disfigure,
debase,
deface,
put a damper on,
crool or cruel (Australian, slang)
in the sense of tear
Definition
to pull apart or to pieces
Canine teeth are for tearing flesh.
Synonyms
pull apart,
claw,
lacerate,
sever,
mutilate,
mangle,
mangulate (Australian, slang)
in the sense of trash
Definition
to attack or destroy maliciously
Would they trash the place when the party was over?