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Glite Dictionary
to desecrate

to desecrate

44 8.1
To damage or show disrespect to a holy place, for example a grave
  • verb
  • /ˈdɛsɪˌkreɪt/
translation icon : profanar
  • By building on that land, Krantz has desecrated the sacred ground and once again awakened the Bone Eater.
  • desecrate sacred places
  • desecrate holy places
  • desecrate the host

They love to desecrate church altars and they love to defile children.

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Examples

  • The inverse of sacredness is desecration, and the impact of seeing a sacred place desecrated can be frightful.

    Academic text (2002)

  • No mission of pilgrimage gave her the right to desecrate a sanctuary.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • You desecrate the house of God!

    A Knight's Tale (2001)

  • How dare you desecrate my display?

    C.O.R.N. (2021)

  • This is like desecrating a grave.

    The Hessen Affair (2009)

  • Stop desecrating God's holy word!

    The Comeback Trail (2020)

  • "Our noble facility has been desecrated by hooligans."

    Demolition Man (1993)

  • Nazis in Germany demonstrated in Berlin, fought with the police, and desecrated Jewish graves.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • It is our most sacred shrine and he desecrates it.

    Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

  • Many believe vandalism can desecrate historical monuments that represent cultural heritage.

Synonyms

to violate
vsto desecrate
67 4.9

Treat a place, object, or tradition in a way that shows no respect

is limited to harming or showing disrespect only when something is sacred or holy
to dishonor
vsto desecrate
  • US
48 5.3

To make someone or something lose respect by bad action

targets sacred or holy things with damage or clear disrespect rather than only shame
to defile
vsto desecrate
38 8.6

To make something dirty or harm its reputation

focuses on disrespect or harm specifically toward what is held sacred or holy
to deface
vsto desecrate
29 5.8

Damage the surface of something by writing, scratching, or painting it

involves moral disrespect or sacred harm rather than only visual surface damage
to profane
vsto desecrate
4 7.2

To treat a holy place or thing with disrespect

involves physical damage or blunt disrespect as actions rather than just irreverence
to outrage
vsto desecrate
  • Formal
2 7.9

Treat a holy place or object with disrespect

focuses on damage or showing disrespect more broadly than breaking sanctity
to defile sacred ground
vsto desecrate
9.9

Treat a holy place like a temple with disrespect by damaging or polluting it

applies to sacred things broadly, not only to places alone

Antonyms

to consecrate
  • Formal
33 7.4

To make a place or person holy by a ceremony

How Disrespectful

to violate
67 4.9
to defile
38 8.6
to desecrate
44 8.1
to disrespect
115 3.5
to offend
524 2.8

Surface Forms

desecrate infinitive
desecrated past
desecrated past participle
desecrating present participle
desecrates third person singular

Morphology

desecrate = consecrate (semi-transparent) = de + sacr + ate

The prefix 'de-' signals reversal or removal relative to the sacred/consecrated state, but the core combining form 'sacr' is not a standalone English word and the verb form is historically mediated (e.g., related to 'consecrate'), so the relation is not fully transparent for average learners.

Etymology

Desecrate comes from the Latin parts de- 'remove' and sacer 'sacred', which is the same root as the English word sacred. So, to desecrate something is to take away its sacredness by damaging or showing disrespect.