mar 1 of 2

mar

2 of 2

verb

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word mar distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of mar are damage, harm, hurt, impair, and injure. While all these words mean "to affect injuriously," mar applies to injury that spoils perfection (as of a surface) or causes disfigurement.

the text is marred by many typos

When is it sensible to use damage instead of mar?

While in some cases nearly identical to mar, damage suggests injury that lowers value or impairs usefulness.

a table damaged in shipping

When might harm be a better fit than mar?

The words harm and mar can be used in similar contexts, but harm often stresses the inflicting of pain, suffering, or loss.

careful not to harm the animals

When is hurt a more appropriate choice than mar?

In some situations, the words hurt and mar are roughly equivalent. However, hurt implies inflicting a wound to the body or to the feelings.

hurt by their callous remarks

When can impair be used instead of mar?

The words impair and mar are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, impair suggests a making less complete or efficient by deterioration or diminution.

years of smoking had impaired his health

In what contexts can injure take the place of mar?

The meanings of injure and mar largely overlap; however, injure implies the inflicting of anything detrimental to one's looks, comfort, health, or success.

badly injured in an accident

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mar
Verb
The game was marred by penalties as both teams made numerous mistakes, but there was no mistaking the potential for explosive plays by both offenses. Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 May 2025 His second pro season was marred by a torn Achilles tendon last spring. Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 23 May 2025 Foot and muscular injuries marred his start to the season. Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 16 May 2025 But a performance in mid-November at a charity event on Richard Branson’s Necker Island was marred by an unusual bout of nausea and balance issues, which Taryn and her sisters Holly, 47, and Isa, 49, chalked up to stress and exhaustion. Rachel Desantis, People.com, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mar
Noun
  • The toxins from the fungus cause liver damage, vomiting and reproductive defects in both livestock and humans.
    Filip Timotija, The Hill, 4 June 2025
  • These types of batteries, although generally safe, can be highly combustible under specific circumstances, like extreme overheating or manufacturing defects.
    Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 31 May 2025
Verb
  • Their prosecution was tainted by multiple constitutional violations and political bias.
    Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 May 2025
  • White died nine days later on Nov. 21 The best friend of a British woman who died after drinking alcohol that authorities suspect was tainted with methanol while visiting Laos is speaking out.
    Becca Longmire, People.com, 27 May 2025
Verb
  • Federal officials said one immigration agent was injured when a rock shattered his vehicle’s windshield, and the U.S. Marshals Service reported arrests for obstructing operations, according to the Times.
    Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 8 June 2025
  • Russia also targeted the western Lviv and Khmelnytskyi regions, the northern Chernihiv region, and the central Poltava region, where at least three people were injured.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 June 2025
Noun
  • He’s considered several options to resolve the situation, hoping to find a compromise that addresses both his wife’s emotional scars and the family’s needs.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 1 June 2025
  • The conflict with Ro and his marauding Nihil forces has left scars across the galaxy and held the Republic hostage.
    Dalton Ross, EW.com, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • Dodge won't spoil the surprise by confirming if the last one will be based on the Charger or the Challenger (or maybe both), but the evidence suggests the latter is more likely.
    Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 13 Feb. 2023
  • Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.
    Monica Mark, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Feb. 2023
Verb
  • The fire began on the third floor, severely damaging the entire level, while water damage affected the floors below.
    Samantha Moilanen, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
  • In addition to direct contact, Toxoplasma may also damage sperm because the infection promotes chronic inflammation.
    Bill Sullivan, The Conversation, 28 May 2025
Noun
  • Their backs are a mixture of cream dots, orange-ish speckles and brown blotches.
    Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 2 June 2025
  • These are more typically animals with stripes instead of blotches, missing patterns, and similar.
    Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • Outside, people were returning from the aid hub, mostly empty-handed, while empty flour bags stained with blood lay on the ground.
    Mohammad Jahjouh, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
  • The doors to several apartments on the first floor remained stained with the victims’ bloody handprints Saturday.
    Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 31 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mar. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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