defile

¹ American  

[dih-fahyl] / dɪˈfaɪl /

verb (used with object)

defiled, defiling

1. to make foul, dirty, or unclean; pollute; taint; debase.

2. to make impure for ceremonial use; desecrate.

3. to sully, as a person's reputation.

4. Archaic. to violate the chastity of.

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defile ² American  

[dih-fahyl, dee-fahyl] / dɪˈfaɪl, ˈdi faɪl /

noun

1. any narrow passage, especially between mountains.

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verb (used without object)

defiled, defiling

1. to march in a line or by files.

defile ¹ British  

/ dɪˈfaɪl /

verb

1. to make foul or dirty; pollute

2. to tarnish or sully the brightness of; taint; corrupt

3. to damage or sully (someone's good name, reputation, etc)

4. to make unfit for ceremonial use; desecrate

5. to violate the chastity of

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defile ² British  

/ ˈdiːfaɪl, dɪˈfaɪl /

noun

1. a narrow pass or gorge, esp one between two mountains

2. a single file of soldiers, etc

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verb

1. military to march or cause to march in single file

Other Word Forms

• defilable
  adjective
• defilement
  noun
• defiler
  noun
• defilingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of defile¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English defilen, defelen, alteration of defoilen (by association with filen “to defile” ( see file ³), from Anglo-French, Old French defouler “to trample on, violate”; compare Old English befȳlan “to befoul”

Origin of defile²

1675–85; < French défilé, noun use of past participle of défiler to file off; see defilade

Explanation

When you defile something, you make it dirty or make it lose its purity. Think of a snowy field in which someone has tossed their old cans and wrappers. The litter defiles the winter wonderland. For something to be defiled, it first must be pure. You can't defile a garbage dump or a messy room. Defile is often used in a religious context. If you were to burn a copy of the Bible or spray-paint the walls of a church, it could be said that you defiled the holy book or place.

Example Sentences

A soldier who requested anonymity explained to AFP that since then the body had been guarded around the clock "so that rival groups do not defile him."

From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026

Some Parisians backed the move, but others - including heritage campaigners - said it was a bad idea and would "defile" the French capital's iconic monument.

From BBC • Sep. 2, 2024

“But we continue with the tradition of protecting the forest because our ancestors have told us not to defile the forest.”

From Seattle Times • Jan. 17, 2024

Earlier in his career, Leto’s androgynous appeal was so conspicuous it’s as if certain filmmakers needed to defile it somehow.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2021

Yet they knew that all the hills and rocks about the Morannon were filled with hidden foes, and the shadowy defile beyond was bored and tunnelled by teeming broods of evil things.

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien

Related Words

• besmirch
• debase
• degrade
• desecrate
• discolor
• dishonor
• sully
• vitiate