ENGLISH
REFERENCE

marred

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ˈmɑɹd// UK //mˈɑːd// marred Archaic

adj. damaged or spoiled so that something is no longer perfect. You use this to describe a situation or object that was good until one bad thing happened.

adj. damaged, spoiled, or impaired in quality or appearance. Often used as a participial adjective to describe a surface or a reputation that has been negatively affected by a flaw.


SIMPLE

The beautiful view is marred by the ugly new fence.

CONTEXTUAL

The athlete's otherwise perfect career was marred by a single doping scandal in his final year of competition.

COMPLEX

The pristine landscape, once a sanctuary for local wildlife, is now marred by the industrial scars of recent mining operations and heavy machinery tracks.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle English marred, merred (“troubled, distressed, vexed, bewildered”), from Old English *mierred, ġemyrred (“disturbed, troubled”), past participle of Old English mierran, ġemyrran (“to hinder, obstruct, force, trouble, err”), equivalent to mar + -ed.

Etymology 2

From mar.

Usage

Often follows a linking verb like 'is', 'was', or 'remains'. It frequently appears in the phrase 'marred by' followed by the cause of the damage.

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