defile

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /dɪˈfaɪl/ UK /dɪˈfaɪl/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to make dirty or impure; a narrow mountain pass

Vandals defiled the monument with crude graffiti.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make dirty or impure; a... pollute desecrate contaminate sully taint befoul corrupt besmirch

Opposites

purify cleanse sanctify consecrate hallow

Word family

Forms defileth

Derived forms defilementdefilerdefileddefiling

Related forms foul befoul file

Etymology

From Middle English defoulen ('to trample, pollute'), from Old French defouler ('to trample down'), later altered under influence of Old French defiler and the verb file. The noun sense 'narrow pass' comes separately from French défilé ('act of filing past'), from défiler ('to march in a line').

defouler Old French fullare Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# defile

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈfaɪl/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈfaɪl/

## Meanings
1. to make dirty or impure; a narrow mountain pass

## Examples
- Vandals defiled the monument with crude graffiti.

## Synonyms
- pollute
- desecrate
- contaminate
- sully
- taint
- befoul
- corrupt
- besmirch

## Antonyms
- purify
- cleanse
- sanctify
- consecrate
- hallow

## Derived Forms
- defilement
- defiler
- defiled
- defiling

## Related Forms
- foul
- befoul
- file

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: defouler
- Root: fullare

## Etymology
From Middle English defoulen ('to trample, pollute'), from Old French defouler ('to trample down'), later altered under influence of Old French defiler and the verb file. The noun sense 'narrow pass' comes separately from French défilé ('act of filing past'), from défiler ('to march in a line').

## AI Etymology
Defile is from Middle English defoulen ('to trample, pollute'), from Old French defouler ('to trample down'), later altered under influence of Old French defiler and the verb file. The noun sense 'narrow pass' comes separately from French défilé ('act of filing past'), from défiler ('to march in a line'). In present-day use, it means to make dirty or impure; a narrow mountain pass. Derived formations include defilement, defiler, defiled, and defiling. Related vocabulary includes foul, befoul, and file.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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