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 of desecrate

• 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

The next day, February 9th, Nakira was charged with first-degree murder, endangering the welfare of a child, desecrating human remains, and tampering with physical evidence. — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026

The judge is desecrating the memory of the Great Charlie Kirk, while taking forever to ask questions that people already know the answer to. — Adam Sabes , Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

French’s post provoked social media responses calling for violence against Indians and desecrating Hindu temples. — Arun Brahmbhatt, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026

French's post led to a flurry of other posts on social media calling for violence against Indian communities, including desecrating Hindu temples and statues. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

de- + -secrate (as in consecrate)

First Known Use

1675, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for desecrate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

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