defileverb [ T ]
uk/dɪˈfaɪl/us/dɪˈfaɪl/formalto spoil something or someone so that that thing or person is less beautiful or pure:
It's a shame that such a beautiful area has been defiled by a rubbish dump.
The soldiers deliberately defiled all the holy places.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Making things dirty & untidy
- blacken
- blot
- clutter
- contaminate
- dirty
- disarrange
- foul
- mess
- mired
- mix
- mix sth up
- muddle
- muddle sth up
- muss
- pollute
- polluter
- soil
- stain
- tarnish
- the polluter pays principle idiom
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defilement
noun [ U ] uk/dɪˈfaɪl.mənt/us/dɪˈfaɪl.mənt/
defilenoun [ C ]
uk/dɪˈfaɪl/us/dɪˈfaɪl/literarya very narrow valley between two mountains
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Geography: valleys
- abyss
- arroyo
- chasm
- cirque
- corrie
- cwm
- dale
- dell
- glen
- gorge
- gulch
- gully
- hanging valley
- hollow
- landform
- ravine
- vale
- valley
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