disfigure

verb

dis·​fig·​ure dis-ˈfi-gyər How to pronounce disfigure (audio)
 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 How to pronounce disfigure (audio)
 especially British  -ˈfi-gə-
noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 While there, medical professionals determined the girl’s burn wounds were seven to 10 days old, and some were more than two weeks old and had converted from second- to third-degree burns, leaving the toddler permanently disfigured, officials said. Brooke Baitinger, Sacramento Bee, 15 Jan. 2025 At this stage in the bespoke process, the basting thread disfigured the jacket, dividing it into quadrants, and the buttons were nothing but stickers. Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025 In the dark comedy, Stan portrays a struggling actor with neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition that causes his face to be disfigured. Vivian Kwarm, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disfigure

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of disfigure was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Disfigure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disfigure. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

disfigure

verb
dis·​fig·​ure dis-ˈfig-yər How to pronounce disfigure (audio)
 especially British  -ˈfig-ər
: to spoil the appearance of
disfigured by a scar
disfigurement noun

More from Merriam-Webster on disfigure

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