mar
1 of 4verb
transitive verb
William Plummer L. W. Beck Mike Harrismar
2 of 4noun
mar
3 of 4abbreviation (1)
Mar
4 of 4abbreviation (2)
Synonyms
Verb
- blemish
- darken
- poison
- spoil
- stain
- taint
- tarnish
- touch
- vitiate
Noun
- blemish
- blight
- blotch
- defect
- deformity
- disfigurement
- excrescence
- excrescency
- fault
- flaw
- imperfection
- mark
- pockmark
- scar
Example Sentences
Word History
Verb and Noun
Middle English marren, from Old English mierran to obstruct, waste; akin to Old High German merren to obstruct
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
1551, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
mar 1 of 2
verb
Mildred D. Taylor, Roll of Thunder, Hear My CryMar.
2 of 2abbreviation
mar 1 of 2
noun
Synonyms & Similar Words
- defect
- blotch
- scar
- mark
- blemish
- stain
- blight
- imperfection
- deformity
- irregularity
- flaw
- distortion
- disfigurement
- fault
- pockmark
- excrescence
- spot
- taint
- blot
- injury
- misshape
- damage
- bug
- excrescency
- abnormality
- malformation
- weakness
- blur
- glitch
- failing
- impairment
- defacement
- kink
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- enhancement
- decoration
- ornament
- adornment
- embellishment
mar
2 of 2verb
Synonyms & Similar Words
- taint
- spoil
- stain
- darken
- poison
- tarnish
- blemish
- touch
- degrade
- distort
- sully
- vitiate
- blacken
- discredit
- pollute
- discolor
- smear
- smudge
- tar
- soil
- corrupt
- dirty
- disgrace
- blur
- dishonor
- besmirch
- cheapen
- debase
- shame
- smirch
- besmear
- cloud
- lower
- demean
- abase
- smut
- subvert
- sink
- pervert
- debauch
- foul
- deprave
- color
- twist
- begrime
- demoralize
- bastardize
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- purify
- cleanse
- elevate
- magnify
- glorify
- uplift
- ennoble
- dignify
- hallow
- enshrine
Synonyms & Similar Words
- damage
- injure
- impair
- spoil
- cripple
- weaken
- hurt
- erode
- compromise
- disfigure
- ruin
- blemish
- harm
- deface
- vitiate
- bloody
- break
- undermine
- flaw
- destroy
- deteriorate
- shatter
- crab
- tarnish
- endamage
- wound
- dent
- blight
- cross (up)
- ding
- enervate
- wreck
- dint
- botch
- maim
- wash out
- batter
- demolish
- scour
- devastate
- mutilate
- enfeeble
- mangle
- lacerate
- tear down
- wipe out
- torture
- torment
- decimate
- desolate
- smash
- total
- raze
- disable
- waste
- annihilate
- crush
- queer
- scourge
- pulverize
- bang up
- lame
- dash
- hamstring
- wear (away)
- clobber
- bash
- gum (up)
- do in
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- patch
- repair
- fix
- rebuild
- mend
- reconstruct
- renovate
- help
- rectify
- heal
- cure
- revamp
- remedy
- rehabilitate
- enhance
- improve
- recondition
- edit
- revise
- perfect
- enrich
- ameliorate
- better
- remodel
- doctor
- refine
- meliorate
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of mar are damage, harm, hurt, impair, and injure. While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement.
While in some cases nearly identical to mar, damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness.
The words harm and mar can be used in similar contexts, but harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss.
In some situations, the words hurt and mar are roughly equivalent. However, hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings.
The words impair and mar are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution.
The meanings of injure and mar largely overlap; however, injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success.