defiled 1 of 2

adjective

as in contaminated

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defiled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of defile
1
as in polluted
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable supplies of meat that had been defiled by maggots

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2
as in violated
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

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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 defiled
Verb
The Tesla’s desecration follows a vandalism spree in Queens that saw religious centers, homes and vehicles defiled with swastikas and antisemitic slogans last month. — Barry Williams, New York Daily News, 26 June 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 Among the false claims Energy Transfer alleged Greenpeace had spread was that the energy company defiled Native American cultural boundaries. — Mark Curriden, Dallas Morning News, 13 Mar. 2026 Militia members had ransacked and defiled the house. — Yousra Elbagir, Time, 25 Feb. 2026 As a state legislator, Lincoln stood against slave catchers backed by the federal government who defiled our state’s laws and terrorized our most vulnerable. — Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026 The work of love, and the question of what happens when love is absent or defiled, became a central preoccupation. — Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026 Their beautiful sanctuary has been defiled, and Emily is fired. — Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025 After occupying forces defiled the temple, a small army led by Judah the Maccabee liberated the sanctuary. — Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 10 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defiled
  1. contaminated
  2. polluted
  3. violated
  4. tainted
  5. poisoned
  6. desecrated
  7. impure
  8. unclean
Adjective
  • Taco Bell has been sued at least three times in federal court this week, with plaintiffs alleging negligence, breach of warranty and violations of deceptive trade practices law for allegedly selling contaminated lettuce.
    — Antonio Pequeño IV, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • In many cases, people contract the disease by inhaling tiny droplets of contaminated water.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026
Definition of contaminated
Verb
  • The same river that was savagely polluted by the mining industry, devastating the ancestral oasis of Quillagua.
    — Cristina Dorador, The Dial, 14 July 2026
  • But stars aren’t the only things that fail to show up when the sky is polluted with light; fireflies, those flashing, nostalgic symbols of summer, often skip the party too.
    — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 1 July 2026
Definition of polluted
Verb
  • The materials prompted an investigation into whether Mission Regional Medical Center and Knapp Medical Center violated state or federal law.
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 July 2026
  • The comment resulted in the employee being fired, but the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision that the firing violated the employee’s First Amendment rights.
    — Corey Schmidt July 17, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of violated
Adjective
  • Cyclosporiasis is an illness caused by a pathogen in tainted produce, which has already sickened thousands of Americans this summer.
    — Taylor Swinton, Washington Post, 17 July 2026
  • As part of the settlement, Latchford’s estate also forfeited a 7th-century bronze statue depicting the goddess Durga, alleged to have been stolen from Vietnam in 2008 and which Latchford allegedly purchased using tainted funds.
    — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 16 July 2026
Definition of tainted
Verb
  • But is there any guarantee that Francesco was not also poisoned?
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • Michael seemed to be saying that by admitting her dishonesty, Ethel would have ruined their childhood and poisoned any prospect of a future relationship with her.
    — Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026
Definition of poisoned
Verb
  • Those are the kinds of things that can't be broken into or taken away or desecrated.
    — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026
  • The mission also alleges that evidence was planted and bodies were desecrated.
    — Patrick Peralta, The Conversation, 28 May 2026
Definition of desecrated
Adjective
  • Wise’s wistful songwriting is retained, but completely missing is his intentionally impure palette.
    — Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Kanto practitioners believe that women cannot participate because, according to Japan's Shinto religion, women's blood from menstruation and childbirth is considered impure for the purpose of religious rituals.
    — Anthony Kuhn, NPR, 3 Nov. 2025
Definition of impure
Adjective
  • Putting diseased plant material in your compost pile and using unclean or dull pruning tools also increases the risk of transmitting issues from plant to plant.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 5 July 2026
  • The floor sink beneath the 3-comp sink was draining slowly and observed unclean.
    — Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado July 3, Sacbee.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of unclean

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Cite this Entry

“Defiled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiled. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of defiled for Spanish Speakers

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