desecrate

verb des·e·crate \ ˈde-si-ˌkrāt \

Updated on: 13 May 2018

Definition of desecrate

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

or desecrator play \-ˌkrā-tər\ noun

See desecrate defined for English-language learners

See desecrate defined for kids

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 of desecrate from the Web

Hudson County prosecutors say 37-year-old Travis Plummer, of Richmond, is charged with desecrating the human remains of 23-month old Te'Myah Layauna Plummer.

— crimesider staff, CBS News, "Father charged after remains found in suitcase ID'd as missing toddler Te'Myah Plummer," 24 Apr. 2018
The team that discovered Djehutynakht’s desecrated chamber more than a century ago was led by archaeologists George Reisner and Hanford Lyman Story.

— New York Times, "The F.B.I. and the Mystery of the Mummy’s Head," 2 Apr. 2018
DuBois was killed between Oct. 27 and Nov. 3, according to an indictment that charged Bryan and Christopher Costello with first-degree murder and desecrating human remains.

— robert moran, Philly.com, "Burlco man, 26, admits to fatal baseball bat beating," 9 Apr. 2018
Foreign correspondence relies on emotions: What is the emotion of protest, of war, of a refugee crisis, of unfair elections, of a foreign company coming in and desecrating a landscape of a population in search of resources?

— danielle tcholakian, Longreads, "Is Journalism a Form of Activism?," 25 Mar. 2018
As of the date of publication, The Root was unable to reach a representative from the mythical masked black rape clique running around Denison, Texas, searching for blondes to desecrate.

— michael harriot, The Root, "Woman Who Lied to Police About 3 Black Men Raping and Kidnapping Her Faces Zero Years in Prison," 26 Feb. 2018
In the course of an hour, my imitation mid-century sofa, my living room, and my entire apartment had all been desecrated by a blue-eyed boy who didn’t believe in monogamy as a sustainable institution.

— nora crotty, The Cut, "This Is the Best Place to Break Up With Someone," 16 Mar. 2018
The summer of the racist massacre at Emanuel AME was the same summer black churches in South Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee were being burned or desecrated.

— jenn m. jackson, Teen Vogue, "Why Is Forgiveness Always Expected from the Black Community After Violence Occurs?," 12 Mar. 2018
Minjarez was booked on March 8 at the Oklahoma County Jail, on charges of first-degree murder and desecrating a human corpse, according to jail records.

— jamie ducharme, Time, "7-Month-Old Baby Found Dead After Oklahoma Amber Alert, Police Say," 10 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'desecrate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.