Meaning & use
mutilating
Last updated
Severely damaging or disfiguring something, especially by cutting off or destroying an essential part.
See it in a sentence
The vandals were caught mutilating statues in the public park.
Editors accused the publisher of mutilating the author's original manuscript with unauthorized cuts.
A note on using this word
While most often used of physical injury to a body, 'mutilating' is also used figuratively for severely and carelessly altering a text, artwork, or idea.
Words with a similar meaning
disfiguringmaiming
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
restoringrepairing
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