Meaning & use
maim
Last updated
UK/meɪm/
US/meɪm/
Meaning
verbtransitive
To injure someone so badly that part of the body is permanently damaged or cannot be used.
Grammar: Takes an object, usually a person or animal: maim a victim.
Patterns
- maim someone
- be maimed in something
The explosion maimed several workers at the quarry.
Landmines still maim farmers years after a war ends.
He was maimed in a car accident and lost the use of his left hand.
Word forms
| third person singular | maims |
|---|---|
| past tense | maimed |
| past participle | maimed |
| -ing form | maiming |
Common combinations
- maim or kill
- Mines maim or kill thousands of people each year.
- maimed for life
- The soldier was maimed for life by the blast.
- maim and injure
- The bomb could maim and injure anyone nearby.
- badly maimed
- The badly maimed animal needed urgent care.
- intent to maim
- He was charged with assault with intent to maim.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cripple
- Cripple is more offensive when applied to people and is best avoided, while maim is neutral in tone.
- disable
- Disable is neutral and may refer to any loss of function, not necessarily violent.
- mutilate
- Mutilate stresses cutting or damaging the body in a way that is visibly horrific.
- injure
- Injure is broad and includes minor harm, while maim means lasting damage.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: maim or main?
maim vs main
Main means chief or most important. Maim means to injure severely and sounds exactly the same.
Practice
The accident did not kill him, but it ___ him for life.
Choose one answer.
Maimed means he suffered lasting physical damage. Mimed means acted without words, which does not fit an accident.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “maim”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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