mar 1 of 2

mar

2 of 2

verb

1
2

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
At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, Ross flashed huge potential at Clemson before injuries marred his draft stock. Jesse Newell, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2025 Not a drop of rain marred the 24 hour races at Le Mans, the Nürburgring, or Spa-Francorchamps, held unusually over consecutive weekends this June. ArsTechnica, 7 July 2025 Désiré Doué scored in the 78th minute, and Paris Saint-Germain moved a step closer to another trophy with a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Club World Cup on Saturday, a game marred by a gruesome injury to young German star Jamal Musiala. Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2025 But a closer look at the data reveals blemishes that could mar that rosy outlook — with President Donald Trump’s economic policies as the most significant common denominator. Lucy Bayly, CNN Money, 3 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for mar
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mar
Noun
  • Requiring customers to provide proof of defects (like photos) eliminated most of the positive effects.
    Roger Dooley, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
  • Dozens of owners of brand-new homes in Caldwell and elsewhere in Southwest Idaho have told the Idaho Statesman about construction defects, including poor ventilation that traps moisture and mold, water intrusion and structural problems from poor framing.
    Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 24 July 2025
Verb
  • Zelensky, claims that these crackdowns are needed because anti-corruption investigations were tainted by Russian influence and were doing Putin’s bidding.
    Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 24 July 2025
  • King’s family objected to the release, saying the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s surveillance of the progressive leader was tainted by the agency’s political bent at the time.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 21 July 2025
Verb
  • Shooting comes 3 years after another incident The July 25 shooting comes less than three years after another fatal attack at a University of New Mexico housing building left one student dead and three campus visitors injured.
    Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 July 2025
  • Those deaths included two sisters, ages 5 and 4, who were strangled by the same man who had just strangled their mother in front of them, and a 2-month-old boy who was being held in his mother’s arms as his father repeatedly punched her, fatally injuring the infant.
    Ashley Luthern, jsonline.com, 24 July 2025
Noun
  • Steer hides are like any other hides, including yours, and they’re sometimes covered with the scratches and scars of a life lived.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 July 2025
  • If untreated, these patches can lead to scars and permanent hair loss.
    Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 29 July 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
  • Anything that damages the trust between the vendor, Microsoft, and the user is as much a threat as the hackers themselves, in my never humble opinion.
    Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 14 July 2025
Noun
  • The loaches are generally brown and yellow, with saddle-like blotches along their backs, according to the study.
    Irene Wright July 9, Miami Herald, 9 July 2025
  • It’s usually identified by its white, fleshy taproot with reddish spots that resemble a parsnip, along with hollow stems marked by small purple blotches, according to the N.C. State Extension.
    Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 27 May 2025
Verb
  • However, the damage was done, thanks to the anchoring bias where the news broke, it was already stained in people’s memory.
    Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
  • It was stained in several places, disintegrating around the edges, and already yellowing due to years of exposure to air and sunlight and, quite possibly, pipe tobacco.
    Darcy Ballantyne July 16, Literary Hub, 16 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mar.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mar. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on mar

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!