mar
verb (used with object)
to damage or spoil to a certain extent; render less perfect, attractive, useful, etc.; impair or spoil.
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Mares.
mar
1 American
[mahr]
/ mɑr /
verb (used with object)
-
mars,
present (3rd person singular)
-
marred,
past participle, past
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marring
present participle
-
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.
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to disfigure, deface, or scar.
The scratch marred the table.
mar.
2
American
abbreviation
-
maritime.
-
married.
Mar.
3
American
abbreviation
M.A.R.
4
American
abbreviation
mar
1
British
/ mɑː /
verb
noun
Mar
2
British
abbreviation
Usage
What does mar mean? To mar something is to damage, spoil, deface, disfigure, or scar it—either literally (such as by scratching or making a mark on an object) or figuratively (such as by spoiling a party by getting into an argument). Mar is used somewhat more formally than many of its synonyms. Whether used literally or figuratively, it always refers to spoiling something by making it worse or less perfect than it was. Its figurative sense is more often used in writing (especially journalism) than in everyday speech. Mar can also be used as a noun, meaning a blemish, but this is less common. Example: The senator’s campaign event was unfortunately marred by people who wanted to disrupt the event by interrupting her speech.
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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marsimple
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marssimple
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have marredperfect
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has marredperfect
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am marringprogressive
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are marringprogressive
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is marringprogressive
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have been marringperfect progressive
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has been marringperfect progressive
Past
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marredsimple
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had marredperfect
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was marringprogressive
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were marringprogressive
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had been marringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mar
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”
Explanation
A mar is a flaw, mark, or blemish, like a deep scratch on a wooden table. As a verb, to mar is to make such an imperfection — like the pen mark that mars your crisp, white shirt. We often think of things that mar as immediately noticeable, like scratches, scars, and blemishes, but sometimes mar describes other ways of ruining something. For example, an unexpected run-in with a difficult person can mar your relaxing day at the beach, just as an unpleasant memory can mar a peaceful state of mind. The thing to remember is, it only takes one scratch, one mean comment, or one negative experience to mar something that is otherwise fine.
Vocabulary lists containing mar
ASVAB Word Knowledge
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"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act II
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"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act V
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
On the other hand, he is heavily invested in the tournament's success – and may take special efforts to avoid the kind of diplomatic incidents that could mar proceedings.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
If Ms. Noem lets her bureaucracy support his deportation, the Secretary will indelibly mar her legacy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026
Gilded fixtures, trim and ornamentation — rumored to be from Home Depot — mar the walls.
From Salon ● Jan. 4, 2026
Unless the adviser followed all compliance protocols and properly documented all client communication regarding past trades and financial transactions, the dispute can mar their record.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 12, 2025
I said, too unhinged to laugh at my gram- mar.
From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli
The forests come down nearly to the beach, which is covered with thickets of mangroves, avicennias, manchineel-trees, and that species of suriana which the natives call romero de la mar.*
From Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 1 by Thomasina Ross
VIII., is this singular entry:—"Robarde Holte of Stubley, hase mar. an ould woman, by whom he hase none issewe, and therefore he wolde not have her name entryed."
From Traditions of Lancashire, Volume 2 by John Roby
Roxie Shaia threw for four touchdowns in 20-18 loss to Corona del Mar. Next: Monday at Fountain Valley.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
This has pushed the Nasdaq’s RSI from the oversold level of 28.9 on Mar. 30 to 68.4, according to Dow Jones data on MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 15, 2026
Within 48 hours of its Mar. 25 release, the TV series preview trailer became the most-watched in HBO and HBO Max history, racking up more than 277 million views.
From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2026
After the fuel tank strike on Mar. 16, Dubai—one of seven emirates and the UAE’s commercial hub—has sought to reassure passengers, declaring flights in and out of its airports to be safe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 22, 2026
And he goes to me, ‘Look, Mar. I want to talk straight with you.’
From "Harbor Me" by Jacqueline Woodson
Indeid M.A.R. spak with me fowr or fywe dayis syn, and I hew promised his Lo. ane answar within ten dayis at farrest.
From James VI and the Gowrie Mystery by Andrew Lang
Ye knaw the kingis hwnting vill be schortly, and than sall be best tyme, as M.A.R. has asswred me, that my Lo. has resolved to interpryse that matter.
From James VI and the Gowrie Mystery by Andrew Lang
Researchers from Oregon State University estimate 69,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed in Venezuela’s beachside communities like those in Catia La Mar, a 45-minute drive from Caracas in the devastated coastal state of La Guaira.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
When Journalism enters the Del Mar Racetrack starting gate shortly after 5:30 p.m.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Rispoli, the leading jockey at last fall’s Del Mar meeting, has had his own rough stretch, missing five months of action after breaking his right ankle and leg in a January spill at Gulfstream Park.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
In 1984, 20 people died in a fire on the Canary Island of La Gomera, while in 1979, 21 people, including nine children, died in a forest fire near Lloret de Mar in north-eastern Spain.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
As if on cue, Sierra’s brother had strolled out of El Mar with a big, tired grin on his face.
From "Shadowshaper" by Daniel José Older
Americans hated the laws, all but one of which was repealed under Adams’s successor, Thomas Jefferson, and the whole episode mars the second president’s otherwise splendid reputation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
And it’s not just in the setup — evasion mars this memoir throughout.
From New York Times ● Mar. 28, 2023
It really mars what is otherwise a striking finish.
From The Verge ● Jul. 14, 2022
Rising demand and labor shortages have left airlines more vulnerable to bad weather, which frequently mars end-year holiday travel.
From Reuters ● Nov. 5, 2021
Occasionally, a twitch of his hand or arm mars what he is doing, but in a little while he is able to twist off a section of the dough and fashion it into a roll.
From "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
Celtic and Rangers have both been ordered to play their next home Scottish Cup matches behind closed doors after last season's quarter-final was marred by fan disorder.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
He first retired from Disney in late 2021, but the handoff to his then-successor Bob Chapek was marred by missteps.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Repeated Iranian attacks also marred an earlier truce in April, though none of the incidents provoked a return to all-out war.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Amid a season marred by struggles, Kyle Tucker flashes some of his $240-million promise by hitting another home run in the Dodgers’ 4-3 win over the Mets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
Zalmay’s usually cheerful face was marred with worry.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
Heavy, acrid smoke blanketed the eastern United States on Saturday, marring preparations for the weekend's highly awaited World Cup final to be held in an open stadium in New Jersey.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
On Tuesday, Scott retired three of the four batters he faced, with only a well-placed single through the right side of the field — a “soft-serve hit, as Roberts put it” — marring the outing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
A cycle of ephemeral emperors, military mutinies and civil wars had begun, marring Rome’s third century.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
Sandisk’s stock is off fractionally on Tuesday, with the report hardly marring the first anniversary of the split.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 24, 2026
His voice was just a little harder now, a hint of sarcasm marring his polite tone.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
