Meaning & use
marred
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“marred” is a form of “mar”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivecomparableformal
Damaged or spoiled so that something is less beautiful or less good than it should be.
Grammar: Usually followed by by: marred by scratches.
Patterns
- marred by something
The painting was marred by a long scratch.
The match was marred by bad weather.
Her otherwise perfect record was marred by one mistake.
verbtransitive
Past tense and past participle of mar: to damage or spoil something.
Grammar: Takes an object: rain marred the party.
Patterns
- mar something
Heavy traffic marred our trip.
A few errors marred the report.
A rude comment marred the otherwise pleasant dinner.
Common combinations
- marred by
- The election was marred by violence.
- marred by controversy
- His career was marred by controversy.
- marred by scandal
- The festival was marred by scandal.
- marred surface
- The marred surface needed polishing.
- slightly marred
- The table was slightly marred by a ring from a cup.
Synonyms and how they differ
- spoiled
- A common word for ruining something, whereas marred suggests a blemish that reduces quality.
- tarnished
- Fits reputations or metal that has lost its shine, with a sense of fading honor.
- blemished
- Means marked with a flaw, especially a small visible one.
- damaged
- A broad neutral word with no suggestion of lost beauty.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: marred or marred?
marred vs marred
Do not confuse marred with married; one letter makes a big difference.
Practice
The otherwise excellent concert was ____ by constant microphone problems.
Choose one answer.
Marred by means spoiled by. Married is a different word, and scarred and marked do not describe lessened quality in this way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “marred”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.