mar
verb (used with object)
to damage or spoil to a certain extent; render less perfect, attractive, useful, etc.; impair or spoil.
Showing results for mar.
Search instead for
mares.
mar
1 American
[mahr]
/ mɑr /
verb (used with object)
-
mars,
present (3rd person singular)
-
marred,
past participle, past
-
marring
present participle
-
to damage or spoil to a certain extent; render less perfect, attractive, useful, etc.; impair or spoil.
That billboard mars the view. The holiday was marred by bad weather.
-
to disfigure, deface, or scar.
The scratch marred the table.
mar.
2
American
abbreviation
-
maritime.
-
married.
Mar.
3
American
abbreviation
M.A.R.
4
American
abbreviation
mar
1
British
/ mɑː /
verb
noun
Mar
2
British
abbreviation
Usage
What does mar mean? To mar something is to damage, spoil, deface, disfigure, or scar it—either literally (such as by scratching or making a mark on an object) or figuratively (such as by spoiling a party by getting into an argument). Mar is used somewhat more formally than many of its synonyms. Whether used literally or figuratively, it always refers to spoiling something by making it worse or less perfect than it was. Its figurative sense is more often used in writing (especially journalism) than in everyday speech. Mar can also be used as a noun, meaning a blemish, but this is less common. Example: The senator’s campaign event was unfortunately marred by people who wanted to disrupt the event by interrupting her speech.
Synonym Usage
Mar, deface, disfigure, deform agree in applying to some form of injury. Mar is general, but usually refers to an external or surface injury, if it is a physical one: The tabletop was marred by dents and scratches. Deface refers to a surface injury that may be temporary or easily repaired: a tablecloth defaced by penciled notations. Disfigure applies to external injury of a more permanent and serious kind: A birthmark disfigured one side of his face. Deform suggests that something has been distorted or internally injured so severely as to change its normal form or qualities, or else that some fault has interfered with its proper development: deformed by an accident that had crippled him; to deform feet by binding them.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
marsimple
-
marssimple
-
have marredperfect
-
has marredperfect
-
am marringprogressive
-
are marringprogressive
-
is marringprogressive
-
have been marringperfect progressive
-
has been marringperfect progressive
Past
-
marredsimple
-
had marredperfect
-
was marringprogressive
-
were marringprogressive
-
had been marringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mar
First recorded before 900; Middle English merren, Old English merran “to hinder, waste”; cognate with Old Saxon merrian, Old High German merren “to hinder,” Old Norse merja “to bruise,” Gothic marzjan “to offend”
Explanation
A mar is a flaw, mark, or blemish, like a deep scratch on a wooden table. As a verb, to mar is to make such an imperfection — like the pen mark that mars your crisp, white shirt. We often think of things that mar as immediately noticeable, like scratches, scars, and blemishes, but sometimes mar describes other ways of ruining something. For example, an unexpected run-in with a difficult person can mar your relaxing day at the beach, just as an unpleasant memory can mar a peaceful state of mind. The thing to remember is, it only takes one scratch, one mean comment, or one negative experience to mar something that is otherwise fine.
Vocabulary lists containing mar
ASVAB Word Knowledge
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act II
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act V
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
On the other hand, he is heavily invested in the tournament's success – and may take special efforts to avoid the kind of diplomatic incidents that could mar proceedings.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
If Ms. Noem lets her bureaucracy support his deportation, the Secretary will indelibly mar her legacy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026
Gilded fixtures, trim and ornamentation — rumored to be from Home Depot — mar the walls.
From Salon ● Jan. 4, 2026
Unless the adviser followed all compliance protocols and properly documented all client communication regarding past trades and financial transactions, the dispute can mar their record.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 12, 2025
She felt jumpy—anxious for the night, hopeful that no fiery disturbances would mar the darkness this time, and worried that her mother would find out she’d gotten in trouble at school.
From "Stella by Starlight" by Sharon M. Draper
VIII., is this singular entry:—"Robarde Holte of Stubley, hase mar. an ould woman, by whom he hase none issewe, and therefore he wolde not have her name entryed."
From Traditions of Lancashire, Volume 2 by John Roby
The forests come down nearly to the beach, which is covered with thickets of mangroves, avicennias, manchineel-trees, and that species of suriana which the natives call romero de la mar.*
From Personal Narrative of Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America, During the Year 1799-1804 — Volume 1 by Thomasina Ross
The chip maker had a meteoric rise earlier this year, surging 214% between Mar. 30 and May 11.
From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026
That is much larger than the firm’s disclosed portfolio of publicly traded stocks, which totaled about $4.7 billion as of Mar. 31.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
Not that Arthur was thinking about either Derby eight years ago when she bid $500 for a behind-the-scenes tour of Santa Anita or Del Mar. She wasn’t even thinking about owning a horse.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2026
Within 48 hours of its Mar. 25 release, the TV series preview trailer became the most-watched in HBO and HBO Max history, racking up more than 277 million views.
From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2026
The others were still small, their names yet of one syllable: Dan and Mar. Perhaps I could care for them, Kira thought briefly, trying to find her own future within the village.
From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry
Indeid M.A.R. spak with me fowr or fywe dayis syn, and I hew promised his Lo. ane answar within ten dayis at farrest.
From James VI and the Gowrie Mystery by Andrew Lang
Ye knaw the kingis hwnting vill be schortly, and than sall be best tyme, as M.A.R. has asswred me, that my Lo. has resolved to interpryse that matter.
From James VI and the Gowrie Mystery by Andrew Lang
But at Friday's hearing in Mar del Plata, all criminal proceedings were suspended against the couple.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
The fire has "surpassed all possible and imaginable limits," said Mar Nicolas, mayor of the nearby small town of Brunete, which is hosting around a hundred evacuees.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
Fortunately for Rispoli, Wellman and anyone else associated with Journalism, including the fans who bet him down to 1-5 odds Saturday at Del Mar Racetrack, this story ended much happier than it began.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
Researchers from Oregon State University estimate 69,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed in Venezuela’s beachside communities like those in Catia La Mar, a 45-minute drive from Caracas in the devastated coastal state of La Guaira.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
In March of 1960 seventeen-year-old Bobby flew to Mar del Plata, the seaside resort on Argentina’s Atlantic coast, south of Buenos Aires.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Americans hated the laws, all but one of which was repealed under Adams’s successor, Thomas Jefferson, and the whole episode mars the second president’s otherwise splendid reputation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
And though there are times when Dudamel does restrain himself from the exhibitionism that mars the first movement of his Ninth, the result too often is faceless and bland.
From New York Times ● Aug. 24, 2022
It really mars what is otherwise a striking finish.
From The Verge ● Jul. 14, 2022
Rising demand and labor shortages have left airlines more vulnerable to bad weather, which frequently mars end-year holiday travel.
From Reuters ● Nov. 5, 2021
People might comment, especially Saint Sarah, who makes it her business to pounce on evidences of grief, bereavement, any occurrence that mars the tra-la-la-la gaiety of everyday life.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
A landslide struck a car park on Japan's Mount Fuji, with the final day of the volcano's summer climbing season on Thursday marred by downpours and dense mist.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
But his premiership was marred by his own corruption scandals, and no one sees him as a solution.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
According to a video shared Monday on Threads, a Parton fan who planned to lay flowers at the star found that it was marred by what seemed to be shards from a broken candle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Professor Inger Brodey alleged that the school’s hiring was marred by “improprieties, slander, vindictiveness and manipulation” and accused Mr. Atkins of hiring “candidates who conform to unspoken, homogenous, ideological criteria.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
The hull listed to one side, and a very large, splintery gash marred the bow.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
A cycle of ephemeral emperors, military mutinies and civil wars had begun, marring Rome’s third century.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
Sandisk’s stock is off fractionally on Tuesday, with the report hardly marring the first anniversary of the split.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 24, 2026
Hundreds of pupils in Indonesia fell ill after eating free school meals, officials said Wednesday, in the latest case of alleged food poisoning marring a government-funded programme.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2025
Recently, a new implant in her left vocal cord has fixed the squeaky whisper marring her speech for four years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2024
The one in front of them had a pink scar marring the olive skin next to his left eye.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
