Mutilate - Meaning, Definition & English Examples
To mutilate means to severely damage or disfigure a body, object, or part, often causing permanent harm. It implies deliberate destruction or injury, rendering something incomplete or dysfunctional.
Definition:
To severely damage or disfigure, especially by cutting or removing parts.
Synonyms:
maim, disfigure, injure, damage, deface
Part of Speech:
verb
Antonyms:
heal, repair
Common Collocations:
mutilate a body, mutilate evidence, mutilate a document
Derivatives:
mutilation, mutilated, mutilating
Usage Tips:
Use "mutilate" to describe extreme physical damage or deliberate destruction of something important.
Common Phrases:
mutilate beyond recognition, mutilate the truth, mutilate a masterpiece
Etymology:
From Latin *mutilatus*, past participle of *mutilare*, meaning "to cut off."
Examples:
- 1. The vandals tried to mutilate the statue with sharp tools.
- 2. She refused to mutilate the document despite pressure from her boss.
- 3. The animal was found mutilated in the forest.
- 4. He accidentally mutilated his finger while using the saw.