verbAdvanced

defile

US

/dɪˈfaɪl/

UK

/dɪˈfaɪl/

Meaning

To make something dirty, polluted, or morally or spiritually unclean, especially something valued or sacred.

किसी चीज़ को गंदा या दूषित करना, या किसी पवित्र या सम्मानित चीज़ को अपवित्र करना।

Examples

“The vandals defiled the ancient shrine by painting graffiti on its walls.”

defile a sacred placeby + action

“Dumping industrial waste into the river would defile this protected waterway.”

defile the environmentwould + verb

“The defiled cemetery was carefully cleaned and restored by local volunteers.”

past participle adjectivepassive voice

Useful patterns

defile a sacred place or objectdefile a grave or cemeterydefile something with somethingbe defiled by something

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Word family

defilement(noun)
defiled(adjective)

Common collocations

defile a sacred sitedefile a templedefile a gravedefile a cemeterydefile the environmentdefile something with waste

Common mistakes

Not natural: The factory defiled the river of chemicals.

Better: The factory defiled the river with chemicals.

Use with to name the substance that makes something polluted; of does not express this relationship.

किस चीज़ से नदी दूषित हुई, यह बताने के लिए with लगाएँ; इस अर्थ में of सही नहीं है।

Not natural: The soldiers defiled to the shrine.

Better: The soldiers defiled the shrine.

Defile is a transitive verb here, so it takes a direct object without to.

यहाँ defile के बाद सीधा object आता है; object से पहले to नहीं लगाते।

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Learner tip

Defile is strong and often suggests disrespect toward something sacred, valued, or protected; pollute is more neutral.

Defile काफ़ी तीखा शब्द है और अक्सर किसी पवित्र, सम्मानित या सुरक्षित चीज़ का अनादर दिखाता है; pollute अधिक तटस्थ है।

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What does it mean to defile a sacred monument?

किसी पवित्र स्मारक को defile करने का क्या मतलब है?