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
  • But herein also lie some of the issues that de-normalizing alcohol consumption brings to light, including its overlap with other, equally pernicious public health crises.
    — Tim Brinkhof, Time, 23 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of pernicious
Verb
  • To quickly get the facilities online, the company brought in heavily polluting gas turbines that residents complain is making the air hard to breathe.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Apart from polluting ecosystems and leaving toxic residues on human food sources, these aggressive chemicals drive pests to develop genetic resistance, rendering treatments ineffective over time.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of polluting
Verb
  • Now, the state attorney general says the city must pay a fine or face a lawsuit for violating a state law protecting Confederate monuments and other longstanding memorials.
    — Riley Bunch, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Industry leaders say its inability to cite casinos for violating federal law or force the emergency closure of unsafe facilities is particularly troubling.
    — Savannah Peters, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of violating
Adjective
  • But for Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys), the local personalities pale in comparison to the evils lurking beneath the cursed island’s surface.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026
  • But Alys recognizes the anguish of a man just beginning his cursed life.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of cursed
Verb
  • In the past farmers have been suspected of deliberately poisoning elephants to prevent them from eating crops.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
  • Historically used in dry cleaning or to degrease metal parts, the chemicals leaked into the base’s wells, poisoning the drinking water.
    — WUFT News, Miami Herald, 29 July 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
  • But if surveillance pricing seems corrupt or unethical, get ready.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Raids may temporarily remove leaders but leave corrupt relationships and financial machinery intact, allowing the organization to regenerate.
    — Robert Muggah, The Conversation, 10 Aug. 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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defiles
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Cite this Entry

“Defiling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiling. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of defiling for Spanish Speakers

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