marred

American

[mahrd] / mɑrd /

adjective

damaged or spoiled to a certain extent; made less perfect, attractive, useful, etc..

We can all get preoccupied with the marred aspects of our character.
disfigured or defaced, as by scratches, nicks, scars, or discoloration.

We love the marred table, actually, because it helps us remember the work, dirt, mess, and grit of life.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of mar.

Other Word Forms

unmarred adjective

Etymology

Origin of marred

mar ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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.

One of the greatest gangster films of all time was nearly marred by tragedy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

General Motors said Wednesday it sold 626,429 vehicles between January and March, and that the early part of the quarter was marred by "severe winter weather," while March emerged as a "much stronger month."

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

Ugly scenes marred the aftermath of Celtic's Scottish Cup quarter-final win on penalties at Ibrox, with spectators entering the pitch.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

The tournament was marred by controversy earlier in the Milan-Cortina Games after Canadian Marc Kennedy insulted a Swedish opponent who accused of cheating.

From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026

Another boy performs a cut from a Paul Rudnick play that is dead-on hilarious, but marred just a bit by one mispronounced cultural reference.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

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