# marred

/ˈmɑɹd/ (US) · /mˈɑːd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/marred
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. damaged or spoiled

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

having the appearance or quality spoiled by a mark, flaw, or mistake.

For teachers: impaired in quality, appearance, or character; having the perfection of something ruined by a specific flaw.

- The beautiful view was marred by a large, ugly billboard in the middle of the field.
- The pristine silence of the valley was marred by the distant, rhythmic thud of industrial machinery from the new quarry.

### 3. spoiled or pampered

adjective · CEFR C2 · Dialect · British English

used to describe a person, usually a child, who is treated too kindly and becomes soft or difficult.

For teachers: describing an individual who has been overly indulged or cosseted; primarily restricted to specific regional dialects.

- He was a marred child who always cried if he didn't get his way.
- The grandmother was often accused of raising marred children who lacked the resilience required for adult life.

Usage: Commonly used in Northern England, particularly Yorkshire, to describe a 'spoilt' child.

## Examples

- The beautiful view is marred by the ugly new fence.
- The athlete's otherwise perfect career was marred by a single doping scandal in his final year of competition.
- The pristine landscape, once a sanctuary for local wildlife, is now marred by the industrial scars of recent mining operations and heavy machinery tracks.

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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.