| Main Entry: | desecrate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | abuse, violate |
Synonyms: |
befoul, blaspheme, commit sacrilege, contaminate, defile, depredate, desolate, despoil, devastate, devour, dishonor, make lose face, mess up*, pervert, pillage, pollute, profane, prostitute, ravage, sack, spoil, spoliate, waste |
Antonyms: |
honor, praise, sanctify |
| Main Entry: | abuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | physically hurt or injure |
Synonyms: |
bang up, beat up, bung up, corrupt, cut up, damage, defile, deprave, desecrate, harm, hose, ill-treat, impair, maltreat, mar, mess up*, mishandle, mistreat, misuse, molest, oppress, persecute, pollute, rough up, roughhouse, ruin, shake up, spoil, taint, total*, victimize, violate, wax |
| Notes: | abuse carries with it some sense of harm; misuse refers to an incorrect use that may not lead to harm to misuse is to use something wrongly, to abuse is to misuse something so badly that you damage it |
Antonyms: |
cherish, defend, help, preserve, protect, respect |
| Main Entry: | contaminate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | adulterate |
Synonyms: |
alloy, befoul, corrupt, debase, debauch, defile, deprave, desecrate, dirty, harm, infect, injure, muck up, pervert, poison, pollute, profane, radioactivate, soil, spoil, stain, sully, taint, tarnish, vitiate |
Antonyms: |
clean, cure, heal, purify, sterilize |
| Main Entry: | defile |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | corrupt, violate |
Synonyms: |
abuse, adulterate, befoul, besmirch, contaminate, debase, deflower, degrade, desecrate, dirty, discolor, disgrace, dishonor, hurt, maculate, make foul, mess up*, molest, muck up, pollute, profane, rape, ravish, scuzz up, seduce, shame, smear, soil, stain, sully, taint, tar, tarnish, trash, vitiate |
Antonyms: |
clean, clease, hallow, honor, purify, sanctify |
| Main Entry: | deflower |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | ravish; take away beauty |
Synonyms: |
assault, defile, deflorate, depredate, desecrate, despoil, devour, force, harm, have, mar, molest, outrage, possess, ravage, ravish, ruin, seduce, spoil, violate |
| Main Entry: | desolate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | ravage, destroy |
Synonyms: |
depopulate, depredate, desecrate, despoil, devastate, devour, lay low, lay waste, pillage, plunder, ruin, sack, spoliate, waste |
Antonyms: |
build, construct, improve |
| Main Entry: | despoil |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | ravage, destroy |
Synonyms: |
denude, depopulate, depredate, deprive, desecrate, desolate, devastate, devour, dispossess, divest, loot, maraud, pillage, plunder, raid, rifle, rob, sack, spoil, spoliate, strip, vandalize, waste, wreak havoc, wreck |
Antonyms: |
build, construct, improve |
| Main Entry: | devastate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | demolish, destroy |
Synonyms: |
depredate, desecrate, desolate, despoil, devour, do one in, lay waste, level, pillage, plunder, raid, ravage, raze, ruin, sack, smash, spoil, spoliate, stamp out, take apart, total*, trash*, waste, wipe off map, wreck |
Antonyms: |
build, construct, enrich, help, improve |
| Main Entry: | disgrace |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | bring shame upon |
Synonyms: |
abase, attaint, besmirch, blot, debase, defame, defile, degrade, depress, deride, derogate, desecrate, discredit, disfavor, dishonor, disparage, disregard, disrespect, expel, give a black eye, humble, humiliate, libel, lose face, lower, mock, put down, reduce, reproach, ridicule, slander, slur, snub, stain, stigmatize, sully, taint, take down a peg, tar and feather, tarnish |
Antonyms: |
esteem, exalt, honor, respect |
| Main Entry: | foul |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | make or become dirty |
Synonyms: |
befoul, begrime, besmear, besmirch, block, catch, choke, clog, contaminate, defile, desecrate, discolor, ensnare, entangle, fill, jam, pollute, profane, smear, smudge, snarl, soil, spot, stain, sully, taint, tarnish, twist |
Antonyms: |
clean, purify, sterilize |