befile

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

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.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · archaic word for to make... defile foul befoul pollute sully besmirch contaminate

Opposites

cleanse purify

Word family

Derived forms befiled

Related forms file defile filth foul

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).

be- Old English fūl Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Register & Style

External links

# 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
- Actions & Processes
- Register & Style

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