disfigure

disfigure — verb

1. to cause lasting damage to how someone or something appears, especially the face

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to cause lasting damage to how someone or something appears, especially the face, so that it no longer looks beautiful, normal, or well-formed

Example

Acid from the factory leak permanently disfigured Soraya's hands and arms.

active: disfigure + body part as object

The temple roof was disfigured by the typhoon that tore off most of its tiles.

passive: be disfigured by [cause]

Common collocations
  • disfigure someone's face
  • disfigure someone's hands
  • permanently disfigured
  • badly disfigured
  • disfigured by fire
  • disfigured by an accident
  • disfigured by disease
Synonyms
  • deface

    Deliberate and usually about property or objects; 'disfigure' can apply to people and is often accidental

  • scar

    More specific — caused by a wound healing; 'disfigure' covers any kind of damage to appearance

  • mar

    Less severe and more general; 'disfigure' implies serious or permanent damage

  • deform

    Focuses on changing the shape, especially of body parts; 'disfigure' stresses damage to appearance rather than structure

Antonyms
  • beautify

    To make beautiful; the direct opposite of ruining appearance

  • adorn

    To decorate or add beauty to something

Grammar Patterns

disfigure + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently used in the passive voice (be disfigured by [cause]) or with a body part as the direct object. The damage implied is usually permanent or long-lasting, which distinguishes this verb from lighter alternatives like 'damage' or 'spoil'.

Common Mistakes

The rain disfigured her new dress.
The rain ruined her new dress.
'disfigure' is too strong for temporary or surface-level damage; it implies lasting change to the appearance.

Word family

  • disfigured
    adjectiveB2
  • disfigurement
    nounC1
  • disfiguring
    adjectiveC1
  • disfiguration
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five words describe damage to how something looks, but they differ in severity, permanence, and what they apply to. 'Disfigure' (B2) is the most general term for permanent or lasting damage to appearance, and it is the only one commonly used for people — a fire can disfigure a person's face. 'Deface' (B2) is deliberate and limited to objects or property, such as a wall defaced with spray paint. 'Scar' (B2) is narrower — it specifically refers to marks left by a wound, whether physical or emotional. 'Mar' (C1) is the mildest of the group, meaning to slightly spoil something that would otherwise be perfect. 'Deform' (B2) focuses on the mechanical shape rather than the visual: a disease can deform a person's fingers without necessarily disfiguring them. In everyday use, choose 'disfigure' for lasting visual damage to people or landmarks, 'scar' for wound marks, and 'mar' for minor blemishes.

disfigure ↗defacescar ↗mardeform

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • be disfigured by + [cause]
  • disfigure + [body part]

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchEnglish

'Disfigure' entered English in the 1300s from Old French 'desfigurer', which combined 'des-' (meaning 'away' or 'undo') with 'figure' (meaning 'form, shape, appearance'). The word literally means 'to undo the form or shape of something'. It has kept this core meaning of damaging appearance for over 700 years, though an obsolete sense meaning 'to disguise' existed in Middle English.