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defile

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of defile

a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage
  • The cattle, once they were cornered in the defile, were quickly rounded up.
Synonyms of defile

canyon (also cañon), couloir, flume, gap, gorge, gulch, gulf, notch, pass, ravine
Words Related to defile

abyss, chasm, cirque, cleft, crevasse, crevice, fissure

dale, dell, glen, hollow, shut-in, vale, valley

basin, floodplain, kettle

arroyo, coulee, draw, gully (also gulley), gutter, trench, trough

defile

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of defile

1 to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
  • The lake has been defiled by pollutants.
Synonyms of defile

befoul, contaminate, foul, poison, pollute, taint
Words Related to defile

infect

begrime, besmirch, blacken, dirty, foul up, grime, mire, muddy, smirch, smudge, soil, stain, sully

corrupt, rot, spoil

adulterate, doctor

dilute, water down
Near Antonyms of defile

clarify, clean, cleanse, clear, distill (also distil), purge

filter

disinfect, sanitize, sterilize
Antonyms of defile

decontaminate, purify
2 to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect
  • Art conservators were careful not to do anything that might defile the holy relic.
Synonyms of defile

desecrate, profane, violate
Words Related to defile

deconsecrate, desacralize, desanctify

blaspheme, curse, swear

befoul, contaminate, foul, poison, pollute, soil, sully, taint

affront, defame, insult, offend, outrage
Near Antonyms of defile

bless, consecrate, dedicate, hallow, sanctify

honor, respect

cleanse, purge, purify

Synonym Discussion of defile

contaminate, taint, pollute, defile mean to make impure or unclean. contaminate implies intrusion of or contact with dirt or foulness from an outside source.
    • water contaminated by industrial wastes
taint stresses the loss of purity or cleanliness that follows contamination.
    • tainted meat
    • a politician's tainted reputation
pollute, sometimes interchangeable with contaminate, distinctively may imply that the process which begins with contamination is complete and that what was pure or clean has been made foul, poisoned, or filthy.
    • the polluted waters of the river
defile implies befouling of what could or should have been kept clean and pure or held sacred and commonly suggests violation or desecration.
    • defile a hero's memory with slanderous innuendo

Learn More about defile

  1. See words that rhyme with defile Dictionary: Definition of defile Spanish Central: Translation of defile Nglish: Translation of defile for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of defile for Arabic speakers

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