DEFILE Synonyms: 132 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'defile' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of defile are contaminate , pollute , and taint . While all these words mean "to make impure or unclean," 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

Q: When is 'contaminate' a more appropriate choice than 'defile'?

The meanings of contaminate and defile largely overlap; however, contaminate implies intrusion of or contact with dirt or foulness from an outside source. // water contaminated by industrial wastes

Q: When is it sensible to use 'pollute' instead of 'defile'?

While in some cases nearly identical to defile , 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

Q: When could 'taint' be used to replace 'defile'?

The synonyms taint and defile are sometimes interchangeable, but taint stresses the loss of purity or cleanliness that follows contamination. // tainted meat // a politician's tainted reputation

defile 1 of 2

noun

di-ˈfī(-ə)l

Definition of defile

as in canyon

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

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defile

2 of 2

verb

di-ˈfī(-ə)l

as in to pollute

to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable supplies of meat that had been defiled by maggots

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to violate

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 & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb defile contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of defile are contaminate, pollute, and taint. While all these words mean "to make impure or unclean," 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

When is contaminate a more appropriate choice than defile?

The meanings of contaminate and defile largely overlap; however, contaminate implies intrusion of or contact with dirt or foulness from an outside source.

water contaminated by industrial wastes

When is it sensible to use pollute instead of defile?

While in some cases nearly identical to defile, 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

When could taint be used to replace defile?

The synonyms taint and defile are sometimes interchangeable, but taint stresses the loss of purity or cleanliness that follows contamination.

tainted meat

a politician's tainted reputation

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 defile

Noun

In the right of the picture, a platoon of soldiers, heavily armed and preceded by a pair of gun carriages, tramp through a defile. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2025 Navarette Romero, a Honduran national, was found with some of the victim's belongings, the chief said, and he was charged with abduction with intent to defile and rape. — Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024

Verb

Language became another area of culture to defile. — Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026 And earlier this month, Russia prompted outrage by installing an exhibit that some commentators said defiled the Katyn Memorial, the site of the mass execution of Polish POWs by the Soviets in 1940. — Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for defile

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defile

Noun

And this week, our story about the dwindling water levels in Lake Powell, the country’s second-largest reservoir, shows breathtaking expanses of dry canyon plunging to a shrinking, narrow ribbon of teal green.

— Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2026
The kitchen, for example, had overhead cabinets that blocked the views of the cliffs and canyons of Topanga State Park, which stretches just beyond the living room and deck.

— Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of canyon

Verb

That’s what the GOP does by deregulating and lowering environmental standards so energy companies can pollute our air and water with no regard for the citizens.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 Oct. 2026
Open Mind was designed to show readers views that challenged the material polluting their feeds.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of pollute

Verb

The government characterized Lemon as part of the demonstration, arguing his actions at a church crossed the line from a reporting to a protesting role, violating the First Amendment right to worship and freedom of religion.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 8 Oct. 2026
Advisors who do have a fiduciary duty and who violate that responsibility can be subject to fairly serious consequences, including regulatory penalties, civil liabilities and criminal charges.

— Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,Kelli Grant, CFP®, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of violate

Noun

Most Popular Teide National Park, Tenerife Sprawled across the middle of this Canary island, Teide National Park is a jaw-dropping land of soaring heights and deep gorges, each as breathtaking as the next.

— Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026
Everybody else walked out of the gorge under their own power, following a rope line that had been set up by Ouray Mountain Rescue.

— Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of gorge

Verb

Plus, some samples of Martian soil contain high levels of perchlorates, toxic chemical compounds, also found in rocket fuel, that could potentially poison the planet’s supplies of water and food.

— Brian Gallagher, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026
Could something so commonplace really be slowly poisoning people?

— Sean McCann, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of poison

Verb

Then in January 2026, according to police, a potential family member reached out to police and said the mausoleum and grave of a relative at Riverview Cemetery were unlawfully desecrated in 2002.

— David Chiu, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2026
Without criminal consequences, operators who profit from desecrating the dead have nothing to fear.

— Susana Mendoza, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of desecrate

Noun

The standout among the entertaining spaces is the baby-blue kitchen, which extends from the rear of the home into a rounded turret overlooking a ravine.

— Tori Latham, Robb Report, 7 Oct. 2026
Directed by Mohammed Ali Naqvi, the Sundance 2026 doc tells the story of the high-stakes rescue of six schoolboys and two adults trapped in a cable car 900 feet above a ravine in the remote Himalayan foothills of northern Pakistan.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of ravine

Noun

Lobbies, courtyards, guest rooms, and external façades are filled with flowering vines and built with natural materials that make the surrounding valley feel ever-present.

— Nikkita Nair, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026
Peak color is usually mid-to-late October in the mountains and early November in valleys.

— Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of valley

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“Defile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defile. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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verb

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