desecrate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
desecrates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
desecrated,
past participle, past
-
desecrating
present participle
verb
-
to violate or outrage the sacred character of (an object or place) by destructive, blasphemous, or sacrilegious action
-
to remove the consecration from (a person, object, building, etc); deconsecrate
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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desecratesimple
-
desecratessimple
-
have desecratedperfect
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has desecratedperfect
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am desecratingprogressive
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are desecratingprogressive
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is desecratingprogressive
-
have been desecratingperfect progressive
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has been desecratingperfect progressive
Past
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desecratedsimple
-
had desecratedperfect
-
was desecratingprogressive
-
were desecratingprogressive
-
had been desecratingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of desecrate
First recorded in 1665–75; de- + -secrate, modeled on consecrate
Explanation
To desecrate means to treat a sacred place or thing with violent disrespect. The news sometimes reports on vandals who have desecrated tombstones or places of worship. The word consecrate from the Latin consecrare means "to make sacred." Substituting the prefix con- with de- reverses the meaning. When preparing for a foreign occupation, the military instructs troops not to desecrate sacred sites and risk offending the local population. You can also desecrate someone's memory if you spread malicious lies about him after his death.
Vocabulary lists containing desecrate
Their Eyes Were Watching God
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The Book Thief
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Bless Me, Ultima
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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:
“Excessively entertainment-oriented portrayals desecrate the nation’s suffering and disrespect the people who made sacrifices,” read a recent commentary published in the state-run Economic Daily newspaper.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2025
Roberts, 52, can’t see how such a massive development wouldn’t desecrate what is to his people a sacred and historically rich locale.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2024
Much of the city is in shock to see how graffiti has been allowed to desecrate our streets, highways, onramps, tunnels and private property over the past several years.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 9, 2024
Calling the painting "sick stuff," Giuliani whined, "you can't do things that desecrate the most personal and deeply held views of people in society."
From Salon ● Dec. 20, 2023
Papa was anxious to please Grandpa, but not anxious enough to desecrate the Sabbath by singing songs like “Bird in a Gilded Cage” or “Waltz Me Around Again, Willie.”
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
“The theft of items, potential family heirlooms and sentimental pieces from the deceased, not only violates this trust but desecrates the memory of a loved one,” Gascón said in a statement.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 8, 2023
Electronic advertising desecrates the bridges, but boringly so, and outside the window of Owen’s Roosevelt Island apartment, a neon ad for Oral-B alternates with one for Jolly Rancher.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 21, 2018
Mr. Khan had filed a brief in the case with a stark personal appeal to the court, saying Mr. Trump’s policy desecrates the memory of his son, U.S.
From Washington Times ● May 17, 2018
But for many of those who grieve, I suspect just talking about the quality of this memorial as a public space desecrates the site.
From New York Times ● May 28, 2014
By force of his genius he 'smites the rock and spreads the water;' but then, like Moses, 'he desecrates, belike, the deed in doing.'
From Obiter Dicta by Augustine Birrell
They added that a copy of the Sikh scripture inside the temple was also reportedly desecrated.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
In 2013, attackers desecrated a Protestant cemetery in Jerusalem.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
But tech titan Elon Musk has taken to X on multiple occasions to criticize the film, which in his opinion "desecrated" the story.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Westminster Mall, a once-popular shopping center that has been desecrated by graffiti and vandalism since it closed last year, is on track for demolition soon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2026
It was easy now to picture what this place would one day become: that sad and desecrated wreck I had first discovered weeks ago.
From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs
A US Supreme Court decision has ruled that burning the US national flag is protected under the First Amendment, invalidating state laws against desecrating the Stars and Stripes.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Castillo, 43, was sentenced to nine years for contempt, assault, public disorder and desecrating national symbols.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
That finding strengthened the case against the cemetery workers, who were ultimately convicted in 2015 of desecrating human remains.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 6, 2026
But just know you’re desecrating a sacred space.
From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2026
Despite feeling like he’s desecrating a holy relic, he flips it over and runs a hand along the bottom.
From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone
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.
