Meaning & use
non-marring
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivebefore a nountechnicalspecialist
Designed not to scratch, dent, or damage a surface.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: a non-marring tool. It is not usually used after a verb.
Patterns
- non-marring hammer
- non-marring pad
- non-marring tool
Use a non-marring hammer so you do not dent the metal surface.
The mechanic placed a non-marring pad under the jack to protect the paint.
These non-marring pliers grip the nut without leaving marks.
Common combinations
- non-marring hammer
- A non-marring hammer is useful for tapping parts into place without scratches.
- non-marring pad
- Put a non-marring pad between the clamp and the table.
- non-marring tool
- Jewelers often use non-marring tools to avoid damaging soft metals.
- non-marring surface
- The workbench has a non-marring surface that protects delicate parts.
Synonyms and how they differ
- protective
- More general; it means preventing damage of any kind, not specifically preventing scratches or marks.
- soft-faced
- Describes a tool with a soft head, which is one way to be non-marring, but non-marring is the result, not the material.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: non-marring or non-marrying?
non-marring vs non-marrying
Non-marrying means not related to marriage; it sounds similar but has a completely different meaning.
Practice
A ______ hammer is best when you need to tap a metal part without leaving dents.
Choose one answer.
Non-marring means it will not damage the surface. Non-marrying is unrelated to marriage, marring means causing damage, and non-linear describes order or graphs.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “non-marring”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.