desecrate

verb

des·​e·​crate ˈde-si-ˌkrāt 

desecrated; desecrating

transitive verb

1

: to violate the sanctity of : profane

desecrate a shrine

a cemetery desecrated by vandals

2

: to treat disrespectfully, irreverently, or outrageously

… the kind of shore development … that has desecrated so many waterfronts …

—John Fischer

desecrater noun

or desecrator

ˈde-si-ˌkrā-tər 

Synonyms

• defile
• profane
• violate

Examples of desecrate in a Sentence

The vandals were accused of desecrating graves.

vandals desecrated the cemetery last night by covering the tombstones with graffiti

Recent Examples on the Web

Built between 1163 and 1345, the Catholic cathedral had been desecrated once before, in 1789 during the French Revolution, and restored in the 19th century under the aegis of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. —Sarah Belmont, ARTnews.com, 9 Dec. 2024

Taken at its word, the rest of the story (which unfolds six years later) is set in 2024 but opens with Deadpool desecrating Wolverine’s shallow grave from the end of Logan. —Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 26 July 2024

Fans once desecrated a statue of Messi in Buenos Aires. —Felipe Cardenas, The Athletic, 14 July 2024

And yet a joint biography is the only kind that feels appropriate; posthumously disentangling one brother from the other seems tantamount to desecrating a corpse, for Jacob and Wilhelm were ardently inseparable. —Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

de- + -secrate (as in consecrate)

First Known Use

1675, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

desecrate

verb

des·​e·​crate ˈdes-i-ˌkrāt 

desecrated; desecrating

: to treat a sacred place or sacred object shamefully or with great disrespect

desecrater noun

or desecrator

-ˌkrāt-ər 

desecration

ˌdes-i-ˈkrā-shən

noun