defile

¹

[ dih-fahyl ]

verb (used with object)

, de·filed, de·fil·ing.

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.

defile

²

[ dih-fahyl, dee-fahyl ]

noun

1. any narrow passage, especially between mountains.

verb (used without object)

, de·filed, de·fil·ing.

1. to march in a line or by files.

defile

¹

/ 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

defile

²

/ ˈdiːfaɪl; dɪˈfaɪl /

noun

1. a narrow pass or gorge, esp one between two mountains
2. a single file of soldiers, etc

verb

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

Derived Forms

• deˈfilement, noun
• deˈfiler, noun

Other Words From

• de·fil·a·ble adjective
• de·file·ment noun
• de·fil·er noun
• de·fil·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of defile¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English defilen, defelen, alteration of defoilen (by association with filen “to defile” ( 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; defilade

Word History and Origins

Origin of defile¹

C14: from earlier defoilen (influenced by filen to file ³), from Old French defouler to trample underfoot, abuse, from de- + fouler to tread upon; see full ²

Origin of defile²

C17: from French défilé, from défiler to file off, from filer to march in a column, from Old French: to spin, from fil thread, from Latin fīlum

Example Sentences

She, and the men with her, then taunt the congresswoman’s staff through a mail slot and defile her guest book, all while mocking Ocasio-Cortez.

From Washington Post

Rhodes’ performance suggests that Fletcher, so convinced he was doing the right thing for the sake of his country, actually defiled everything his nation stands for by betraying Holiday.

From Time

His family disowned him and his wife wouldn’t sleep with him because he was “defiled” by corpses.

From Freakonomics

The building is like one grand water closet — every hole and corner is defiled.

From Washington Post

Meanwhile, windows were being broken, room trashed, historic spaces defiled.

From Washington Post

Smoking, the statement suggests, will direct their actions, defile their bodies and “cost them” a great deal.

From The Daily Beast

Ripperda's equipage wound down a long and twisting defile between two precipitous rocks.

From Project Gutenberg

We spurred across the plain to the mouth of a deep, wooded defile, through which the Prussian grand corps d'armée were advancing.

From Project Gutenberg

The ridge was broken by a notch, and the road crawled through the opening and into the defile.

From Project Gutenberg

Firing at point-blank range, struggling bayonet against bayonet, the small French force worked its way towards the defile.

From Project Gutenberg

And I will give it into the hands of strangers for spoil, and to the wicked of the earth for a prey, and they shall defile it.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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