mar 1 of 2

mar

2 of 2

verb

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word mar distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of mar are damage, harm, hurt, impair, and injure. While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement.

the text is marred by many typos

When is it sensible to use damage instead of mar?

While in some cases nearly identical to mar, damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness.

a table damaged in shipping

When might harm be a better fit than mar?

The words harm and mar can be used in similar contexts, but harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss.

careful not to harm the animals

When is hurt a more appropriate choice than mar?

In some situations, the words hurt and mar are roughly equivalent. However, hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings.

hurt by their callous remarks

When can impair be used instead of mar?

The words impair and mar are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution.

years of smoking had impaired his health

In what contexts can injure take the place of mar?

The meanings of injure and mar largely overlap; however, injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success.

badly injured in an accident

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mar
Verb
But Peggy's past—from the loss of her son to her former flame, the married Globe editor Thomas Fortune—and William's mother, whose colorism marred her impression of Peggy, jeopardized their chances of a happily ever after. Sam Reed, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025 Moore’s 2023 first season (4-7) was marred by a hazing scandal that resulted in two lawsuits. Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 July 2025 Pop music, like the rest of American society, has reached the exhausted endpoint of the taboo-litigation mania that’s marred the past decade of our national life. Armin Rosen, The Washington Examiner, 25 July 2025 Both votes were marred by what prosecutors said was a massive vote-buying scheme orchestrated by Shor, who has spent much of his time in Russia since he was convicted for his role in the 2014 theft of $1 billion from Moldovan banks. Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mar
Noun
  • Other basement defects may include items such as flooding, defects in drain tiling or sump pumps, or movement, shifting, or deterioration in the foundation.
    Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 27 Aug. 2025
  • Each recall, issued separately, warns consumers of the risks posed by defects or regulatory violations.
    Daniel Orton, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Runoff from cultivation sites may taint the water due to the presence of pesticides.
    Colson Thayer, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
  • All questions of any kind as posed by the user will become tainted, and responses will veer from answers given to other users.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • In the quarterfinals, Miami beat Mexican club Tigres 2-1 despite the absence of Messi, who was injured.
    Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2025
  • The attacker in a Catholic church school shooting in Minnesota that killed two children and injured 18 others arrived at the scene heavily armed with an AR-15-style rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun and a 9mm pistol, according to court records obtained by the St. Cloud Times, part of the USA TODAY Network.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Whether nestled in lush forests or barren deserts, these towns bear the scars of time, showcasing human ingenuity while reminding us of the inevitability of decay.
    Kieron Marchese, Architectural Digest, 25 Aug. 2025
  • Flash flooding is also possible over burn scar areas including the Davis, Conner, Bear, Mill, Inn and Tamarack burn scars.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Dodge won't spoil the surprise by confirming if the last one will be based on the Charger or the Challenger (or maybe both), but the evidence suggests the latter is more likely.
    Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 13 Feb. 2023
  • Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.
    Monica Mark, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Feb. 2023
Verb
  • Hailey has an even rarer type of the illness, an extreme form of hemophilia B. That means bleeding inside his body could damage organs or tissue and quickly put his life at risk.
    Beth Warren, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
  • The suspect, Kevin Charles Pyles, allegedly admitted to wanting to damage the synagogue and blamed minorities for his unemployment, officials say.
    Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 20 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Its back has orange and gray markings with a scattering of darker brown blotches.
    Aspen Pflughoeft Updated July 9, Miami Herald, 9 July 2025
  • The baby was purple-gray-colored, in blotches; wet, smeared in blood and what looked like whitish wax.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 July 2025
Verb
  • The district attorney’s office was headed by Harry Connick Sr., whose 30-year tenure was stained by accusations of racial bias.
    Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2025
  • Ever since 2003, when the contemporary-art organization converted a Nabisco box-printing factory into a museum, the rear, south side of the space has looked out over acres of unimpressive lawn, stained by industrial residue.
    Chloe Schama, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mar. Accessed 2 Sep. 2025.

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