marred

American

[mahrd] / mɑrd /

adjective

damaged or spoiled to a certain extent; made less perfect, attractive, useful, etc..

We can all get preoccupied with the marred aspects of our character.
disfigured or defaced, as by scratches, nicks, scars, or discoloration.

We love the marred table, actually, because it helps us remember the work, dirt, mess, and grit of life.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of mar.

Other Word Forms

unmarred

adjective

Etymology

Origin of marred

mar ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

If something is marred, it’s damaged due to a flaw. If the big football game on Sunday ends with a fight among fans of the opposing teams, commentators will say that the game was marred by violence. The word marred can be traced back to the Old English word merran, meaning “to waste or spoil.” Marred often carries with it the sense of spoiling perfection. It can be a flaw that makes something outstanding less than perfect, such as a movie star’s face marred by a scar or a career marred by controversy.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing marred

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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.

Spirit Airlines is officially shutting down after a 34-run of offering cheap, no-frills flights — one that was ultimately marred by a major strategic blunder.

From MarketWatch • May 2, 2026

Venezi's appointment had been marred in controversy since it was announced last September.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

Despite the strong start to the year, South Korea’s outlook is increasingly marred by the fallout from the Middle East conflict.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

However, the inaugural event was marred by a triple-digit heat wave and was a financial disaster.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

A little blob of ink marred the white page opposite, as though the writer, in impatience, had shaken her pen to make the ink flow freely.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023