Defile Meaning(定義、用法、例句與發音)

defile

verb

快速理解

What does "Defile" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Defile"?

「defile」主要指玷污、褻瀆或弄髒,常用於描述對神聖、純潔或整潔事物的破壞。

  1. 1

    玷污神聖

    EN: to make something holy or sacred unclean or impure

    翻譯: 使神聖或莊嚴的事物變得不潔或不純,常指對宗教場所、儀式或象徵的褻瀆。

  2. 2

    破壞純潔

    EN: to spoil the purity or beauty of something

    翻譯: 破壞某物的純潔性或美感,例如玷汙名譽、破壞自然景觀的原始狀態。

  3. 3

    弄髒環境

    EN: to make a place dirty, especially with waste

    翻譯: 使一個地方變髒,尤指因廢棄物、垃圾或汙染物造成的環境汙染。

  4. 4

    軍事行進

    EN: to march in a single file or narrow column

    翻譯: (軍事用語)指部隊以單行縱隊或狹窄隊形行進,通常通過峽谷、橋樑等狹窄通道。

小提醒:注意「defile」的兩個主要含義差異很大:一個是「玷汙、弄髒」(常用),另一個是軍事術語「以縱隊行進」(較專業)。使用時需根據上下文判斷。

發音(How to Pronounce "Defile" in English

How to pronounce "Defile" in English?"Defile" US vs UK pronunciation

點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。

Real-life Examples of "Defile" from YouTube Videos

暫無 YouTube 示例,重新生成該詞頁可自動補上 1 條。

Definitions(定義)

What are the definitions of "Defile"?How does "Defile" change by context?

1. to make something dirty, polluted, or impure

弄髒;污染;玷污

The factory's waste defiled the once-pristine river.

工廠的廢料污染了曾經清澈的河流。

He felt that the graffiti defiled the ancient temple walls.

他覺得那些塗鴉玷污了古廟的牆壁。

2. to violate the purity or sanctity of something sacred

褻瀆(神聖的事物)

Invaders defiled the holy altar with their presence.

入侵者的出現褻瀆了神聖的祭壇。

To desecrate the flag is to defile a national symbol.

褻瀆國旗就是玷污國家的象徵。

3. to corrupt or degrade someone's morals, honor, or reputation

敗壞(道德、名譽);使墮落

The scandal defiled his previously spotless reputation.

這樁醜聞敗壞了他先前毫無瑕疵的名譽。

She believed that greed had defiled his character.

她認為貪婪已經敗壞了他的人格。

Grammar & Patterns(句型)

What are common sentence patterns for "Defile"?How to make natural sentences with "Defile"?
PatternMeaningExample
defile + noun (place/object)玷污、褻瀆(地方或物品)Vandals defiled the ancient temple with graffiti. (破壞者用塗鴉褻瀆了這座古廟。)
defile + noun (abstract concept)玷污、敗壞(名譽、純潔等抽象事物)The scandal defiled his reputation forever. (這樁醜聞永遠玷污了他的名譽。)
be defiled by + noun/agent被…玷污、被…褻瀆The sacred spring was defiled by industrial waste. (這處聖泉被工業廢料所污染。)
defile + oneself使自己墮落、玷污自己He felt he had defiled himself by betraying his principles. (他覺得自己因背叛原則而墮落了。)

用法說明

How is "Defile" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Defile"?

defile + 名詞 vs defile + 反身代名詞

  • defile + 名詞 表示「玷汙、褻瀆」某個具體的對象(如地方、物品、名譽)。
  • defile + 反身代名詞 (oneself) 則強調主語「使自己墮落、玷汙自己(的名聲或身體)」,通常帶有道德或宗教上的含義。
  • 當主語是「人」且強調其自身行為導致道德敗壞時,使用反身代名詞結構更為精確。
  • 玷汙具體事物(如聖地)時,使用 defile + 名詞 即可。 EN: Vandals defiled the ancient temple with graffiti. 翻譯: 破壞者在古廟塗鴉,褻瀆了聖地。

EN:He defiled himself by betraying his closest friends for money.

翻譯:他為了金錢背叛最親密的朋友,使自己的人格蒙羞。

總結建議

一般情況下,玷汙外物用「defile + 受詞」,強調自身道德墮落則用「defile oneself」。

易混淆對比

What is the difference between "Defile" and similar words?How to choose "Defile" vs alternatives?

defile vs contaminate

defile 強調對純潔、神聖或道德層面的玷污,常帶有道德或精神上的貶損意味;contaminate 則側重於物理上的污染,如化學物質、細菌或有害物質的混入。

defile vs pollute

defile 著重於對純潔、神聖或榮譽的玷污,具有強烈道德或情感色彩;pollute 主要指對自然環境(空氣、水、土壤)造成有害的污染,是更通用的環境術語。

defile vs sully

defile 和 sully 常可互換,均指玷污名譽或純潔。但 defile 語意更強烈,常與「神聖」、「純潔」的事物相關;sully 較常用於名譽、聲望或記錄的玷污,有時語意稍輕。

口語用法

How is "Defile" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Defile"?

引述

在口語中,當引述他人對某事物被玷污的看法時,常用「defile」來表達一種較為戲劇化或正式的指控。 EN: He kept saying they would defile the sacred ground if they built there. 翻譯: 他一直說,如果他們在那裡興建,將會玷汙那塊聖地。

EN:She heard someone claim that the graffiti defiles our city's history.

翻譯:她聽到有人聲稱那些塗鴉玷汙了我們城市的歷史。

語氣強調

在表達強烈道德譴責或情感衝擊時,使用「defile」能加強語氣,凸顯事件的嚴重性。 EN: It just defiles everything we believe in. 翻譯: 這簡直玷汙了我們所信仰的一切。

EN:To dump waste there would defile the entire river.

翻譯:把廢物倒在那裡會玷汙整條河流。

停頓填充

在組織嚴肅論點或尋找合適詞彙時,說話者可能稍作停頓後使用「defile」,以強調接下來的負面後果。 EN: Their actions... defile the very purpose of this organization. 翻譯: 他們的行為…玷汙了這個組織的根本宗旨。

EN:This kind of behavior, it just... defiles the trust between us.

翻譯:這種行為,它簡直…玷汙了我們之間的信任。

正式寫作注意:在學術或正式文件中,應避免將「defile」用於過度情緒化的描述。建議使用更中性的詞彙如「contaminate」、「desecrate」(特指神聖事物)或「sully」來維持客觀語氣。

常見短語

What common collocations use "Defile"?What fixed phrases with "Defile" should I remember?

defile nature

defile + [noun]

玷汙自然環境

defile a sacred place

defile + a + [adjective] + place

褻瀆神聖場所

defile someone's reputation

defile + [possessive] + reputation

玷汙某人的名譽

defile the beauty of

defile the beauty of + [noun]

破壞...的美感

defile the memory of

defile the memory of + [noun/person]

玷汙對...的記憶

defile the landscape

defile the + [noun]

破壞景觀

常見錯誤

What are common mistakes with "Defile"?Which "Defile" sentences look correct but are wrong?

×The tourists defiled the temple by taking photos.

The tourists defiled the temple by carving their names on the walls.

"Defile" implies serious desecration, damage, or making something impure, not just a minor rule violation like photography. Use for actions that physically or spiritually corrupt something sacred or pure.

×He felt defiled after telling a small white lie.

He felt guilty after telling a small white lie.

"Defile" is too strong for minor moral missteps. It conveys a sense of being profoundly corrupted, stained, or made unclean, often in a physical, spiritual, or moral sense. Use "feel guilty," "ashamed," or "remorseful" for lesser wrongs.

×Please don't defile the new carpet.

Please don't stain/soil the new carpet.

"Defile" is not a general synonym for "make dirty." It carries a connotation of violation, profanation, or serious corruption. For ordinary soiling, use words like "stain," "soil," "dirty," or "mess up."

×The news article defiled the company's new product.

The news article criticized/denigrated the company's new product.

"Defile" is not used for verbal criticism or negative reviews. It primarily refers to physically spoiling something pure or sacred, or metaphorically to corrupting something's honor or purity. For harsh criticism, use "denigrate," "disparage," "criticize," or "slander."

×I need to defile this document before submitting it.

I need to edit/revise this document before submitting it.

This is a confusion with "defile" and "edit" or "refine." "Defile" means to make unclean or impure, which is the opposite of the intended meaning. The correct word depends on the action: "edit," "polish," "refine," or "finalize."

詞形變化

What are the word forms of "Defile"?What are tense/participle forms of "Defile"?
defiles(3rd_singular)defiling(present_participle)defiled(past)defiled(past_participle)