befile C2+ Topic:Communication US /bɪˈfaɪl/ UK /bɪˈfaɪl/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 verb archaic word for to make foul or defile Such slander would befile the honour of the house. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · archaic word for to make... defilefoulbefoulpollutesullybesmirchcontaminate ↔ Opposites cleansepurify Word family Derived forms befiled Related forms filedefilefilthfoul Etymology AI details From Old English befȳlan ('to befoul, defile'), from be- + fȳlan ('to make foul'), from fūl ('foul'). Unrelated to the homonym 'file' (a tool or rank). be- Old English fūl Old English View etymology graph -> Topics Communication Register & Style External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # befile **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /bɪˈfaɪl/ **IPA (UK):** /bɪˈfaɪl/ ## Meanings 1. archaic word for to make foul or defile ## Examples - Such slander would befile the honour of the house. ## Synonyms - defile - foul - befoul - pollute - sully - besmirch - contaminate ## Antonyms - cleanse - purify ## Derived Forms - befiled ## Related Forms - file - defile - filth - foul ## Roots and Affixes - Root: be- - Root: fūl ## Etymology From Old English befȳlan ('to befoul, defile'), from be- + fȳlan ('to make foul'), from fūl ('foul'). Unrelated to the homonym 'file' (a tool or rank). ## AI Etymology Befile is from Old English befȳlan ('to befoul, defile'), from be- + fȳlan ('to make foul'), from fūl ('foul'). Unrelated to the homonym 'file' (a tool or rank). Important recorded forms include be- (Old English) and fūl (Old English). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers archaic word for to make foul or defile. The wider family includes derived forms such as befiled and related words such as file, defile, filth, and foul. ## Topics - Communication - Register & Style markdown