maim

1 of 2

verb

maimed; maiming; maims

transitive verb

1
: to mutilate, disfigure or wound seriously
2
: to commit the felony of mayhem upon
maimer noun

maim

2 of 2

noun

1
obsolete : serious physical injury
especially : loss of a member of the body
2
obsolete : a serious loss
Choose the Right Synonym for maim

maim, mutilate, mangle mean to injure so severely as to cause lasting damage.

maim implies the loss or injury of a body part.

maimed by a shark

mutilate implies the cutting off or removal of an essential part of a person or thing thereby impairing its completeness, beauty, or function.

a tree mutilated by inept pruning

mangle implies a tearing or crushing that leaves deep wounds.

a soldier's leg mangled by shrapnel

Examples of maim in a Sentence

Verb The bomb killed 16 people and maimed several others. on-the-job accidents maim far too many workers every year
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Lawnmowers and leaf blowers are the only sounds on the street, except for the barking of our dog, Lil Wayne, who’s determined to kill or at least maim every delivery man who approaches our doorstep. Marla Jo Fisher, Orange County Register, 7 Feb. 2024 The Times' account included details of a 14-year-old boy who was maimed while cleaning a conveyor belt in a deboning area at a Perdue slaughterhouse in rural Virginia. Kate Gibson, CBS News, 21 Feb. 2024 At the likely cost of a few thousand casualties, the Ukrainian garrison in the industrial city—anchored by the army’s 110th Mechanized Brigade—killed or maimed perhaps 30,000 Russians from the 2nd and 41st Combined Arms Armies. David Axe, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2024 Its hardline Islamic leadership seized American hostages in Tehran in 1979 and equipped militants in Iraq in the mid-2000s with sophisticated roadside bombs that killed and maimed hundreds of U.S. troops. USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024 The censorship law has enabled Mr. Putin to perpetuate a nearly two-year invasion that has killed or maimed hundreds of thousands of Russians and Ukrainians, with minimal resistance from those at home who oppose it. Anton Troianovski, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2023 In four months of assaults on Avdiivka, the Russian 2nd and 41st Combined Armies have lost tens of thousands of troops—killed and maimed—plus nearly 700 tanks, fighting vehicles and howitzers. David Axe, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 The studio said focusing on such a game would’ve maimed its ability to focus on single-player narratives. Gene Park, Washington Post, 16 Jan. 2024 Instead, Rodgers further sought to maim the ABC comedian, skewering him in a bizarre rant for standing with the medical community and the likes of Dr. Anthony Fauci during the pandemic by recommending people get vaccinated and take basic precautions to avoid spreading the virus. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 10 Jan. 2024
Noun
Nothing here will surprise, let alone maim, anyone. Vulture, 24 July 2023 The Duttons murder and maim and torture. Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 16 Nov. 2022 Imad Eddin Wadi, 64, was indicted in June on a charge of conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim or injure people and damage property in another country, which carries a sentence of up to life in prison. Guillermo Contreras, San Antonio Express-News, 9 Dec. 2021 Hightower planned to contact inmates in other prisons in the state to carry out a plan to either kill, maim or severely injure Tiarks, according to court documents. Tracy Neal, Arkansas Online, 2 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'maim.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English maymen, mahaymen, from Anglo-French maheimer, mahaigner — more at mayhem

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of maim was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near maim

Cite this Entry

“Maim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maim. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

maim

verb
ˈmām
: to injure or disfigure badly

Medical Definition

maim

transitive verb
1
: to wound seriously : mutilate
2
: to commit the felony of mayhem upon

Legal Definition

maim

transitive verb
: to mutilate, disfigure, or wound seriously compare mayhem

More from Merriam-Webster on maim

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!