disfigure

verb

dis·​fig·​ure dis-ˈfi-gyər 

 especially British  -ˈfi-gə

disfigured; disfiguring; disfigures

transitive verb

1

: to impair (as in beauty) by deep and persistent injuries

a face disfigured by smallpox

2

obsolete : disguise

disfigurement

dis-ˈfi-gyər-mənt 

 especially British  -ˈfi-gə-

noun

Synonyms

• blemish
• bloody
• break
• compromise
• crab
• cripple
• cross (up)
• damage
• deface
• endamage
• flaw
• harm
• hurt
• impair
• injure
• mar
• spoil
• vitiate

Examples of disfigure in a Sentence

His face was disfigured by a scar.

the statue was seriously disfigured by falling rubble during the earthquake

Recent Examples on the Web

Benedict Chiu, United States, 2023 A member of a famous K-Pop boy band whose face has been disfigured by an accident must undergo surgery to repair his fracturing image. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2025

One poster depicts Russian President Vladimir Putin, his face disfigured, behind bars. —Michael Robinson Chávez, NPR, 6 Jan. 2025

An over-fluffed tree can look unnatural and disfigure the branches and branch ends of your tree. —Rabekah Henderson, Southern Living, 30 Nov. 2024

These diseases can disfigure the leaves and the fruit, reduce the yield, and weaken or kill the tree over time. —Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French desfigurer, from des- dis- + figure figure

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for disfigure

• configure
• prefigure
• figure
• reconfigure

Kids Definition

disfigure

verb

dis·​fig·​ure dis-ˈfig-yər 

 especially British  -ˈfig-ər

: to spoil the appearance of

disfigured by a scar

disfigurement

-mənt 

noun