disfigure

verb

dis·​fig·​ure dis-ˈfi-gyər 

especially British -ˈfi-gə

disfigured; disfiguring; disfigures

transitive verb

1

: to impair (as in beauty) by deep and persistent injuries

a face disfigured by smallpox

2

obsolete : disguise

disfigurement

dis-ˈfi-gyər-mənt 

especially British -ˈfi-gə-

noun

Synonyms of disfigure

• injure
• damage
• mar
• cripple
• hurt
• weaken
• impair

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

In July, the Wall Street Journal published an interview with Eui Seok Kang, who was severely disfigured when the airbag of his Chevrolet Malibu detonated after a crash. — Jerry Perez, The Drive, 24 Sep. 2026

No evidence could prove that Mulderrig, who was 60 at the time of the crash, felt pain or lived long enough to deal with being disfigured, Hogan said. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2026

First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly, assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again. — Rafael Nam, NPR, 6 Aug. 2026

Leprosy, which can be traced back at least 4,000 years, can be highly visible and disfiguring, with the primary symptoms including changes to the skin and nervous system that can take upward of 20 years to develop after exposure. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 29 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French desfigurer, from des- dis- + figure figure

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for disfigure

• configure
• prefigure
• figure
• reconfigure

Kids Definition

disfigure

verb

dis·​fig·​ure dis-ˈfig-yər 

especially British -ˈfig-ər

: to spoil the appearance of

disfigured by a scar

disfigurement

-mənt 

noun