mar

¹ American  

[mahr] / mɑr /

verb (used with object)

marred, marring

1. to damage or spoil to a certain extent; render less perfect, attractive, useful, etc.; impair or spoil.

   That billboard mars the view. The holiday was marred by bad weather.

   Synonyms:

   blot, injure, flaw

   Antonyms:

   adorn, enhance

2. to disfigure, deface, or scar.

   The scratch marred the table.

   Synonyms:

   blot, injure, flaw

   Antonyms:

   adorn, enhance

---

mar. ² American  

abbreviation

1. maritime.

2. married.

---

Mar. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. March.

---

M.A.R. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. Master of Arts in Religion.

---

mar ¹ British  

/ mɑː /

verb

1. (tr) to cause harm to; spoil or impair

---

noun

1. a disfiguring mark; blemish

Mar ² British  

abbreviation

1. March

---

Usage

What does mar mean? To mar something is to damage, spoil, deface, disfigure, or scar it—either literally (such as by scratching or making a mark on an object) or figuratively (such as by spoiling a party by getting into an argument). Mar is used somewhat more formally than many of its synonyms. Whether used literally or figuratively, it always refers to spoiling something by making it worse or less perfect than it was. Its figurative sense is more often used in writing (especially journalism) than in everyday speech. Mar can also be used as a noun, meaning a blemish, but this is less common. Example: The senator’s campaign event was unfortunately marred by people who wanted to disrupt the event by interrupting her speech.

Related Words

Mar, deface, disfigure, deform agree in applying to some form of injury. Mar is general, but usually refers to an external or surface injury, if it is a physical one: The tabletop was marred by dents and scratches. Deface refers to a surface injury that may be temporary or easily repaired: a tablecloth defaced by penciled notations. Disfigure applies to external injury of a more permanent and serious kind: A birthmark disfigured one side of his face. Deform suggests that something has been distorted or internally injured so severely as to change its normal form or qualities, or else that some fault has interfered with its proper development: deformed by an accident that had crippled him; to deform feet by binding them.

Other Word Forms

• marrer noun
• unmarring adjective

Etymology

Origin of mar

First recorded before 900; Middle English merren, Old English merran “to hinder, waste”; cognate with Old Saxon merrian, Old High German merren “to hinder,” Old Norse merja “to bruise,” Gothic marzjan “to offend”

Explanation

A mar is a flaw, mark, or blemish, like a deep scratch on a wooden table. As a verb, to mar is to make such an imperfection — like the pen mark that mars your crisp, white shirt. We often think of things that mar as immediately noticeable, like scratches, scars, and blemishes, but sometimes mar describes other ways of ruining something. For example, an unexpected run-in with a difficult person can mar your relaxing day at the beach, just as an unpleasant memory can mar a peaceful state of mind. The thing to remember is, it only takes one scratch, one mean comment, or one negative experience to mar something that is otherwise fine.

Example Sentences

If Ms. Noem lets her bureaucracy support his deportation, the Secretary will indelibly mar her legacy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026

Gilded fixtures, trim and ornamentation — rumored to be from Home Depot — mar the walls.

From Salon • Jan. 4, 2026

Unless the adviser followed all compliance protocols and properly documented all client communication regarding past trades and financial transactions, the dispute can mar their record.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 12, 2025

Covering close to 340 square kilometers of Andalusia, the greenhouses of Spain’s mar de plástico, or sea of plastic, grow much of Europe’s winter fruits and vegetables.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 26, 2024

His wry smile did little to mar the perfect clay smoothness of his features.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

• blight
• bruise
• harm
• impair
• ruin
• scar
• spoil
• stain
• sully
• taint
• tarnish
• wreck