defiling 1 of 2

adjective

as in pernicious

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defiling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of defile
1
as in polluting
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in violating
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defiling
  1. pernicious
  2. polluting
  3. violating
  4. cursed
  5. poisoning
  6. unwholesome
  7. corrupt
  8. debased
Adjective
  • Spector is clearly concerned with the pernicious consequences of technology, its ability to numb emotions and steer people into ideological cul-de-sacs.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 9 July 2026
  • That’s what the task force set out to do, and their findings, released in an official report Thursday, put meat on the bones of this pernicious problem.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
Definition of pernicious
Verb
  • Another study, published in Nature, found that Canadian wildfires in 2023, when more than 43 million acres burned, generated more emissions than the burning of fossil fuels in all but the three most-polluting countries.
    — Joshua Partlow, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
  • The solution is to support federal and state legislation that encourages lower-cost, less-polluting renewable energy to speed up the transition away from environmentally damaging fossil fuels.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026
Definition of polluting
Verb
  • The warring powers have intensified their attacks in the region, stoking fears of a return to full war, with Washington and Tehran accusing each other of violating a memorandum of understanding reached in June.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 20 July 2026
  • In many other countries, there is more formality than Americans are used to, and violating this is interpreted as disrespect.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 20 July 2026
Definition of violating
Adjective
  • Images of shape-shifting witches and cursed doors blur the lines between reality and the twins’ childlike imagination.
    — Jude Noel, Pitchfork, 22 July 2026
  • Deadites will rise from the cursed pages of the Necronomicon as Evil Dead Burn becomes the latest house confirmed for this year’s Halloween Horror Nights.
    — Abbey White, HollywoodReporter, 21 July 2026
Definition of cursed
Verb
  • One of Robinson's attorneys, Kathryn Nester, also represented Kouri Richins, who was convicted of poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, in March 2022.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026
  • Lewis was accused of poisoning two white female housemates, assaulted by a white mob in response to the charge, and acquitted in court, only to then be accused of stealing art supplies and prohibited from reënrolling.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
Definition of poisoning
Adjective
  • Their jail is strange and unwholesome.
    — Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Grievous bodily harm, nonconsensual drugging, murder, yes…still, thank god there’s nothing unwholesome here, like say a man in a dress.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 14 Mar. 2026
Definition of unwholesome
Adjective
  • Some explicitly backed his Democratic opponent, the legendarily corrupt Edwin Edwards.
    — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
  • According to some research, Hungary has been the most corrupt country in the EU for years now.
    — Tax Notes Staff, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of corrupt
Adjective
  • That wasn’t its only subject; comedy and power and misogyny and creativity and intergenerational conflict and work ethic and, especially in its last few seasons, the debased state of the entertainment industry were all richly explored through lines.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 8 July 2026
  • And this has lent Margot a debased sort of celebrity.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Apr. 2026
Definition of debased
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Defiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiling. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of defiling for Spanish Speakers

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