Definition

Adjective: - Having an appearance that has been damaged, harmed, or spoiled, often resulting in an unnatural or unpleasant form. This typically refers to a permanent or serious alteration from the original, normal, or intended state.

Usage

The adjective "disfigured" describes something, most often a person's face or body, or sometimes a landscape or object, whose appearance has been severely and negatively altered, usually by injury, disease, accident, or destructive action. It implies a loss of the original form or beauty.

Examples

• The fire left him with a disfigured hand.
• She underwent surgery to correct a disfigured limb.
• The ancient statue was badly disfigured by centuries of erosion and vandalism.
• The industrial waste disfigured the once-pristine coastline.

Advanced Usage

• "to be disfigured by": This common collocation specifies the cause of the damage.
  • His face was disfigured by the acid attack.
  • The valley was disfigured by open-pit mining.

Variants and Related Words

• Disfigure (verb): To spoil the appearance of something.
  • The graffiti disfigured the historic monument.
• Disfigurement (noun): The state of being disfigured, or an instance of something that disfigures.
  • The accident caused permanent disfigurement.

Synonyms

• Deformed: Misshapen, distorted in form (often implies a congenital condition).
• Mutilated: Severely damaged by violent injury, often with parts removed.
• Marred: Spoiled or impaired, though sometimes to a lesser degree.
• Scarred: Marked by scars, which can be a form of disfigurement.
• Blemished: Marked or spoiled, often by smaller flaws.

Antonyms

• Pristine: In its original condition; unspoiled.
• Unblemished: Not damaged or marked.
• Intact: Not damaged or impaired in any way.

Notes on Usage

• The term is often associated with a sense of loss, tragedy, or violation. When referring to people, it should be used with great sensitivity due to its potentially stigmatizing and hurtful connotations. More neutral or person-first language (e.g., "a person with facial differences") is often preferred in respectful discourse.

Adjective

1. having the appearance spoiled
   • a disfigured face
   • strip mining left a disfigured landscape