Defile

Quick meaning: Defile is a verb meaning To make (someone or something) physically dirty or unclean; to befoul, to soil.

Meaning

To make (someone or something) physically dirty or unclean; to befoul, to soil.

More Meanings

1. To make (someone or something) morally impure or unclean; to corrupt, to tarnish.
2. To act inappropriately towards or vandalize (something sacred or special); to desecrate, to profane.
3. To cause (something or someone) to become ritually unclean.
4. To deprive (someone) of their sexual chastity or purity, often not consensually; to deflower, to rape.
5. To dishonour (someone).
6. To become dirty or unclean.
7. To cause uncleanliness; specifically, to pass feces; to defecate.

Example Sentences

[…] It is an euil birde that defiles his owne neſt, […]

To urinate on someone’s grave is an example of a way to defile it.

I have ſowed ſackcloth vpon my ſkin, and defiled my horne in the duſt.

Spain might now boast that the stain of heresy no longer defiled the hem of her garment. But at what a price was this purchased!

Word Forms

• defiles
• defiling
• defiled
• defilee

Synonyms for defile

Depending on context, synonyms include contaminate, pollute, spoil, sully, assoil, beclart.

Antonyms for defile

Common opposites include clean, purify, cleanse, hallow, sanctify, avow.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include befoul, taint, sully, foul, maculate, tarnish.

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