defile

1 of 3

verb (1)

de·​file di-ˈfī(-ə)l 

dē-

defiled; defiling

transitive verb

: to make unclean or impure: such as

a

: to corrupt the purity or perfection of : debase

the countryside defiled by billboards

b

: to violate the chastity or virginity of : deflower

c

: to make physically unclean especially with something unpleasant or contaminating

boots defiled with blood

… I had never allowed anyone to smoke in the truck. Drunk as I was, I knew that I was betraying something by allowing him to defile the truck's interior.

—Patrick Moore

d

: to violate the sanctity of : desecrate

defile a sanctuary

went to jail for costuming themselves in the American flag and thus defiling it

—James R. Gaines

e

: sully, dishonor

defile his reputation

defilement

di-ˈfī(-ə)l-mənt 

dē-

noun

defiler

di-ˈfī-lər 

dē-

noun

defile

2 of 3

noun

de·​file di-ˈfī(-ə)l  ˈdē-ˌfī(-ə)l 

geology

: a narrow passage (as between hills, rocks, or cliffs) : gorge entry 1

… come to us from a narrow defile in the Pennine Alps between Switzerland and Italy, a place called the Great St. Bernard Pass.

—Michael Olmert

defile

3 of 3

verb (2)

de·​file di-ˈfī(-ə)l  ˈdē-ˌfī(-ə)l 

defiled; defiling

intransitive verb

military

: to march off in a line

… breaks out into a brave and glorious description of the forces, as they defiled through the principal gate of the city …

—Washington Irving

Did you know?

The verb defile (unrelated to this verb defile or its related noun) has a number of uses that are all variations on the idea of making something unclean or impure. These meanings echo the word’s Middle English and Anglo-French ancestry, where defilement is connected to figurative and literal trampling. The ultimate Anglo-French root is fuller, or foller, which means “to trample under foot,” “to oppress”—or literally, “to full.” Full in this case is a technical term: when you full woolen cloth you shrink and thicken it by moistening, heating, and pressing it. Originally, the pressing part was done by trampling it with the feet.

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• befoul
• contaminate
• foul
• poison
• pollute
• taint

Noun

• canyon
• cañon
• col
• couloir
• flume
• gap
• gill [British]
• gorge
• gulch
• gulf
• kloof [South African]
• linn [chiefly Scottish]
• notch
• pass
• ravine
• saddle

Choose the Right Synonym for defile

contaminate, taint, pollute, defile mean to make impure or unclean.

contaminate implies intrusion of or contact with dirt or foulness from an outside source.

water contaminated by industrial wastes

taint stresses the loss of purity or cleanliness that follows contamination.

tainted meat

a politician's tainted reputation

pollute, sometimes interchangeable with contaminate, distinctively may imply that the process which begins with contamination is complete and that what was pure or clean has been made foul, poisoned, or filthy.

the polluted waters of the river

defile implies befouling of what could or should have been kept clean and pure or held sacred and commonly suggests violation or desecration.

defile a hero's memory with slanderous innuendo

Examples of defile in a Sentence

Verb (1)

supplies of meat that had been defiled by maggots

art conservators were careful not to do anything that might defile the holy relic

Noun

the cattle, once they were cornered in the defile, were quickly rounded up

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

With the chaos of his homelife leaving him on autopilot, Frank cares little about being caught defiling the library; his aloofness is disconcerting, especially coming from someone so young. —Caroline Madden, Vulture, 8 July 2024

Whether Donald Trump is defiling the most sacred section of Arlington National Cemetery, committing felonies, attempting to overthrow the government or stealing confidential documents, the message is clear: Rules shouldn’t apply to Trump. —Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2024

Noun

One defiles realism, and the other refuses to let it out of its grip. —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 8 July 2024

Amy Baker Harrison was indicted by a Stafford County grand jury on Monday for the first-degree murder of Jacqueline Lard, as well as abduction with the intent to defile, aggravated malicious wounding and breaking and entering with the intent to commit murder, according to the sheriff’s office. —Amanda Jackson, CNN, 9 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English, alteration (influenced by filen to defile, from Old English fȳlan) of defoilen to trample, defile, from Anglo-French defoiller, defuler, to trample, from de- + fuller, foller to trample, literally, to full — more at full

Noun

French défilé, from past participle of défiler — see defile entry 3

Verb (2)

French défiler, from dé- de- + filer to move in a column — more at file

First Known Use

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1685, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1705, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

defile

1 of 2 verb

de·​file di-ˈfī(ə)l 

defiled; defiling

1

: to make filthy : dirty

stored grain defiled by rats

2

: to corrupt the purity or perfection of

defile buildings with posters

3

: desecrate

a shrine defiled by the invaders

4

: dishonor entry 2 sense 1

defiled our good name

defilement

-fī(ə)l-mənt 

noun

defiler

-ˈfī-lər 

noun

defile

2 of 2 noun

de·​file di-ˈfī(ə)l  ˈdē-ˌfīl 

: a narrow passage or gorge

Legal Definition

defile

transitive verb

de·​file di-ˈfīl 

defiled; defiling

: to dishonor by physical acts (as trampling, dirtying, or mutilating)

defiling the flag

defilement noun

defiler noun