mar

¹

[ mahr ]

verb (used with object)

, marred, mar·ring.

1. to damage or spoil to a certain extent; render less perfect, attractive, useful, etc.; impair or spoil:

   That billboard mars the view. The holiday was marred by bad weather.

   Synonyms: blot, injure, flaw

   Antonyms: adorn, enhance

2. to disfigure, deface, or scar:

   The scratch marred the table.

   Synonyms: blot, injure, flaw

   Antonyms: adorn, enhance

mar.

²

abbreviation for

1. maritime.
2. married.

Mar.

³

abbreviation for

1. March.

M.A.R.

⁴

abbreviation for

1. Master of Arts in Religion.

mar

¹

/ mɑː /

verb

1. tr to cause harm to; spoil or impair

noun

1. a disfiguring mark; blemish

Mar

²

abbreviation for

1. March

Derived Forms

• ˈmarrer, noun

Other Words From

• un·mar·ring adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mar¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English merren, Old English merran “to hinder, waste”; cognate with Old Saxon merrian, Old High German merren “to hinder,” Old Norse merja “to bruise,” Gothic marzjan “to offend”

Word History and Origins

Origin of mar¹

Old English merran; compare Old Saxon merrian to hinder, Old Norse merja to bruise

Synonym Study

Mar, deface, disfigure, deform agree in applying to some form of injury. Mar is general, but usually refers to an external or surface injury, if it is a physical one: The tabletop was marred by dents and scratches. Deface refers to a surface injury that may be temporary or easily repaired: a tablecloth defaced by penciled notations. Disfigure applies to external injury of a more permanent and serious kind: A birthmark disfigured one side of his face. Deform suggests that something has been distorted or internally injured so severely as to change its normal form or qualities, or else that some fault has interfered with its proper development: deformed by an accident that had crippled him; to deform feet by binding them.

Example Sentences

But Khin Mar Cho is pinning her hopes on the international community.

From The Daily Beast

A steel bracelet on my wrists reads CPL BRIAN L. CHEVALIER - 14 MAR 2007 – DIYALA.

From The Daily Beast

Then came his turn as Ennis Del Mar, the gay lovelorn cowboy in Brokeback Mountain, and the rest is history.

From The Daily Beast

Pujol was offering a choice of tasting menus that evening: Mar (Surf) or Tierra (Turf).

From The Daily Beast

The Savanna-La-Mar Hurricane then moved onto Cuba, killing more than 1,000, in total.

From The Daily Beast

Railroads are reckless Radicals and are destined by turns to make and to mar the fortunes of many great emporiums.

From Project Gutenberg

But the Earls of Mar and Athol are collecting their forces, and some other nobles of the land are drawing to their party.'

From Project Gutenberg

A cigar should be handled daintily; it is a fragile, graceful creature—don't mar its beauty.

From Project Gutenberg

One glaring color, or conspicuous article, would entirely mar the beauty of such a dress.

From Project Gutenberg

Collars or sleeves, pinned over or tightly strained to meet, will entirely mar the effect of the prettiest dress.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• blight
• bruise
• harm
• impair
• ruin
• scar
• spoil
• stain
• sully
• taint
• tarnish
• wreck