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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
  • Courtesy of WorldSkills Is one of the world’s most pernicious social stigmas finally lifting?
    — the Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Obscured Releasing has acquired North American distribution rights to The Drug in Our Pocket, a documentary by Anne Sundberg about the pernicious effects on young people of constant smartphone use.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of pernicious
Verb
  • In recent years, the plastics industry has touted the promise of chemical recycling, a set of costly, often polluting technologies that break plastic into its molecular building blocks.
    — Lisa Song, ProPublica, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Any type of foreign material can harm a hydrothermal feature, either by clogging the water supply, polluting the water or blocking its runoff channel, according to the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory.
    — Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of polluting
Verb
  • Charlotte’s water utility has fielded about 18 complaints a day of people violating mandatory water restrictions in place since mid-May, when the region was facing an extreme drought crisis.
    — Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Just before kickoff, the Tide confirmed that Kirkpatrick was suspended for violating team rules.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of violating
Adjective
  • The cursed 13th season of RHONY led to a complete refresh, with the entire cast let go in favor of all-new Housewives.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Around the next bend, the cursed driveway to the veterinary clinic opened up out of nowhere to his right.
    — Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of cursed
Verb
  • Her father, Steve Apa, told the New York Times that the cause was rhabdomyolysis, also known as rhabdo, a rare condition in which skeletal muscle breaks down and dies quickly, poisoning the body.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Her father told The New York Times that she’d been stricken with rhabdomyolysis, a rare condition in which muscles can break down during exertion, poisoning the body.
    — Larry Neumeister, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 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
  • Many progressives, led by Bernie Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont, also believe that a global oligarchy poses a threat to democracy and see big business in defense, technology, and finance as part of a corrupt system.
    — THOMAS WRIGHT, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Donalds is just another gear in the Republican engine that is beholden to the wealthy the powerful and the corrupt — all at the expense of working-class Floridians.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of corrupt
Adjective
  • The plates feature debased imprints of the same signature shapes, creating a dialogue with the glasses.
    — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • 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
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 7 Nov. 2026.

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