disfigure

American

[dis-fig-yer, dis-fig-er] / dɪsˈfɪg yər, dɪsˈfɪg ər /

verb (used with object)

disfigured, disfiguring

to mar the appearance or beauty of; deform; deface.

Our old towns are increasingly disfigured by tasteless new buildings.

Synonyms:

blemish, spoil

Antonyms:

beautify
to mar the effect or excellence of.

His reputation was disfigured by instances of political favoritism.

disfigure British

/ dɪsˈfɪɡə /

verb

to spoil the appearance or shape of; deface
to mar the effect or quality of

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See mar.

Other Word Forms

disfigurer noun
undisfigured adjective

Etymology

Origin of disfigure

1325–75; Middle English disfiguren < Anglo-French, Old French desfigurer, equivalent to des- dis- ¹ + -figurer, verbal derivative of figure figure

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.

Clare finally caught his monocle, and with the other paw, he yanked at his hood, fumbling it over his disfigured ear.

From Literature

But several more are reported to be severely disfigured, making identification difficult.

From BBC

Mojtaba Khamenei's message gave no indication of his own physical condition but the Pentagon said Friday he was "wounded" and "likely disfigured".

From Barron's

He said Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei “is wounded and likely disfigured,” but gave no intelligence to support the claim.

From Los Angeles Times

He added that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei—who has publicly vowed to keep the strait blocked—was “wounded and likely disfigured.”

From Barron's

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