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

Nothing beats cuteness except watching violence be enacted upon the cuteness; like an aural Happy Tree Friends, Skulls tosses pom-poms of fuzz into the sky then desecrates them. —Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 17 Dec. 2025

In 1993, White Supremacists in Billings desecrated a Jewish cemetery, sent bomb threats to a synagogue and threw a brick at a menorah in the window of a five-year-old Jewish boy. —David Goldman, CNN Money, 16 Dec. 2025

Public monuments and art were desecrated all over the country. —Michael Bruening, The Conversation, 3 Dec. 2025

Never in the storied history of MomTok have the core brand values been this desecrated. —Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025

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
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

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