disfigure

dis·fig·ure | \ dis-ˈfi-gyər

How to pronounce disfigure (audio)

, especially British -ˈfi-gə \

disfigured; disfiguring; disfigures

Definition of disfigure

transitive verb

1 : to impair (as in beauty) by deep and persistent injuries a face disfigured by smallpox

2 obsolete : disguise

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Examples of disfigure in a Sentence

His face was disfigured by a scar. the statue was seriously disfigured by falling rubble during the earthquake

Recent Examples on the Web RespectAbility, an organization that advocates for individuals with disabilities, said Hollywood’s tendency to disfigure evil characters, even unintentionally, can cause people to be afraid of those who don’t look like them. — Rebecca Rubin, chicagotribune.com, "Warner Bros. apologizes after ‘The Witches’ sparks backlash from people with disabilities," 5 Nov. 2020 Those lies include social media memes stating the vaccine will leave an invisible digital, trackable tattoo; that Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leader in the vaccine effort, is actually Satan; and that the vaccine will hideously disfigure your face. — Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, "US government fails to respond as anti-vaxxers spread lies on social media about coronavirus vaccine," 12 Aug. 2020 Be sure to read cleaning instructions carefully, however, because improper washing can disfigure and ruin your pillow. — Gabrielle Hondorp, Popular Mechanics, "The 7 Best Cooling Pillows for A Comfortable Night’s Sleep," 9 June 2020 In cities across the country, police departments have attempted to quell unrest spurred by the death of George Floyd by firing rubber bullets into crowds, even though five decades of evidence shows such weapons can disable, disfigure and even kill. — NBC News, "What are rubber bullets? Weapons used on George Floyd protesters can maim and kill," 3 June 2020 In cities across the country, police departments have attempted to quell unrest spurred by the death of George Floyd by firing rubber bullets into crowds, even though five decades of evidence shows such weapons can disable, disfigure and even kill. — Liz Szabo, USA TODAY, "Rubber bullets can kill, blind or maim people for life. Authorities continue to use them.," 3 June 2020 From April 1992 until the summer of 1995, the newly independent republic of Bosnia endured the darkest violence to disfigure Europe since World War II. — Steve Coll, The New York Review of Books, "The Struggle for Better," 13 May 2020 The rest of the commercial looks like any other Bond movie, though, complete with stunts, gunfire and two facially disfigured villains (Christoph Waltz and Rami Malek). — Bruce Fretts, New York Times, "Super Bowl Movie Trailers Ranked From Best to Worst," 3 Feb. 2020 Toward its midpoint, the doc (often vaguely) presents another possibility: That Mariah, who was disfigured and fell down frequently, was pushed down a flight of stairs by a sister who disliked her. — John Defore, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The State of Texas vs. Melissa': Film Review | Tribeca 2020," 23 Apr. 2020

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

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Cite this Entry

“Disfigure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disfigure. Accessed 25 Jan. 2021.

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