scar

scar — noun

1. a line or mark that stays on your skin for a long time after a wound, cut, or bu

1.nounB1
Definition

a line or mark that stays on your skin for a long time after a wound, cut, or burn has healed

Example

Diego has a thin scar above his eyebrow from a fall as a child.

scar + on [body part]

The surgery left a long scar across Yael's knee, but it faded over time.

collocation: leave a scar

Common collocations
  • scar on [body part]
  • leave a scar
  • permanent scar
  • old scar
  • fade over time
Synonyms
  • mark

    more general — any visible trace, not necessarily from injury

  • blemish

    often refers to a small imperfection on skin rather than a wound scar

  • cicatrix

    medical term for a scar formed during wound healing; very formal, rarely used in everyday speech

Grammar Patterns

scar + on + body part

Usage Note

Frequently paired with prepositions like 'on' (for location) and 'from' (for cause). Unlike 'bruise' or 'scratch', a scar is typically permanent or very long-lasting.

Common Mistakes

She has a scar on her knee from where she scratched it yesterday.
She has a scratch on her knee from where she scratched it yesterday.
A scar is a permanent mark, not a fresh injury.

2. a lasting feeling of pain, sadness, or fear that remains long after a very diffi

2.nounB2
Definition

a lasting feeling of pain, sadness, or fear that remains long after a very difficult or frightening experience has ended

Example

The war left deep emotional scars on Imran that took years to heal.

emotional scars + heal

Élise still carries the scar of losing her parents at a very young age.

carry the scar of [event]

Common collocations
  • emotional scar
  • deep scar
  • psychological scar
  • heal a scar
  • carry a scar
Synonyms
  • trauma

    stronger and more clinical — refers to the damaging event itself or the resulting condition, not just the lasting mark

  • wound

    suggests something more raw and current; a wound can heal, while a scar is what remains after healing

Grammar Patterns

emotional scar

scar from + [experience]

carry a scar

Usage Note

Often appears with adjectives such as 'deep', 'psychological', or 'lasting'. The verb 'heal' is frequently used even in emotional contexts, suggesting recovery over time.

Common Mistakes

He has a scar from failing the exam.
He has an emotional scar from failing the exam.
For non-physical damage, add 'emotional' or 'psychological' to avoid confusion with a physical mark.

3. an ugly mark on the surface of the land, a building, or an object, caused by dam

3.nounB2
Definition

an ugly mark on the surface of the land, a building, or an object, caused by damage or human activity

Example

The old mine left a huge scar on the mountainside that is still visible today.

leave a scar on [landscape]

Years of acid rain had left ugly scars on the stone walls of the cathedral.

ugly scars on [surface]

Common collocations
  • scar on the landscape
  • ugly scar
  • deep scar
  • leave a scar
  • cut a scar through
Synonyms
  • blemish

    suggests a smaller, less severe defect in appearance

  • blight

    stronger, suggesting something that ruins or spoils the whole area

Grammar Patterns

scar on [place]

scar across [area]

Usage Note

Commonly describes large-scale damage to natural scenery or historic buildings. Not used for small marks on furniture or everyday objects.

Common Mistakes

The hot pan left a scar on the kitchen counter.
The hot pan left a burn mark on the kitchen counter.
For small surface damage on household objects, use 'mark', 'stain', or 'burn' instead of 'scar'.

scar — verb

Word family

  • scarred
    adjectiveB2
  • scarring
    adjectiveB2
  • scarring
    nounC1
  • scarless
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Scar' specifically describes a permanent mark left after an injury has healed — it is the only word among these that implies a healing process has taken place. 'Mark' is the most general term and can refer to any visible trace, from a pen stain to a fingerprint. 'Blemish' is softer and often used for small imperfections on skin (like acne marks) or surfaces; it rarely suggests a serious injury. 'Scratch' refers to a thin, shallow line caused by a sharp object rubbing against a surface — unlike a scar, a scratch can be fresh and temporary. 'Wound' describes the injury itself (a cut or tear in the skin) rather than the trace it leaves behind. For example: a scratch on your arm might heal without leaving a scar, but a deep wound can leave a permanent scar — and that scar is a mark, though you would not call it a blemish.

scar ↗markblemishscratch ↗wound ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • leave a scar
  • bear a scar
  • carry a scar
  • heal a scar
  • fade over time
  • scar for life

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'scar' comes from Old English 'scear', which meant a cut, notch, or incision made by a blade. It is related to the Old Norse word 'skör' (a notch) and the German word 'Scharte' (a nick or notch). All of these go back to the Proto-Indo-European root '*sker-', meaning to cut. By the 1400s, the word had developed its modern meaning: a mark left on the skin after a wound has healed. The verb form, meaning to leave such a mark, appeared in the 1500s. The emotional sense — a lasting psychological injury — developed later, in the 1800s.