Meaning & use
defile
To spoil the purity or sacredness of something, or to make it physically dirty.
See it in a sentence
Vandals defiled the ancient stone monument with careless spray paint overnight.
The company was accused of defiling the river with untreated waste.
A note on using this word
Defile carries a strong moral tone, often implying disrespect for something sacred or cherished.
Words with a similar meaning
desecratepollutesully
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
purifyhonor
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “defile”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.