# defile

CEFR C2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/defile
Updated: 2026-10-15

## Definition

to make something dirty, impure, or less holy, especially a place or thing people respect.

For teachers: to spoil the purity or sanctity of something, especially a sacred place, through dirt, damage, or immoral action. Always takes a direct object.

## Examples

- They defile the river by dumping waste into it.
- Protesters accused the company of trying to defile sacred land by building a road through it.
- Centuries of graffiti and neglect had begun to defile the chapel walls, dulling frescoes that once glowed with colour and quiet devotion.

## Synonyms

pollute, contaminate, sully, taint, desecrate

## Antonyms

purify, cleanse

## Usage notes

- The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; often used for sacred places, moral purity, or the environment.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.