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

And a coke-snorting, heirloom-desecrating, funeral-crashing adversary at that. —Greg Evans, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026

With the help of that tiny clipping of moss, the defendants were eventually convicted of desecrating human remains in 2015. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2026

Cops arrested a pair of teen vandals Thursday and charged them with desecrating a Brooklyn playground in a Jewish neighborhood with more than 50 swastikas during a two-day attack, police and city officials said. —Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 22 Jan. 2026

Officials determined that a total of 26 underground vaults and mausoleums were broken into or desecrated from November 2025 until the day Gerlach was caught. —Alexandra Simon, CBS News, 8 Jan. 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
• 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