What does marring mean?
To mar something is to spoil or impair its appearance, quality, effectiveness, or value. The word is especially associated with damage that is slight in itself but conspicuous because it affects something otherwise excellent: a scratch may mar polished wood, a poorly chosen extension may mar a historic building, or an ill-judged remark may mar a celebration. It also has a figurative use for harming or detracting from a reputation, success, or occasion. Mar can be transitive, taking the affected thing as its object, or intransitive in constructions such as “mar the view.” Though understandable in everyday speech, it has a somewhat formal literary tone and is less common than words such as spoil, damage, and ruin.
verbTo spoil, damage, or impair the quality, appearance, or effectiveness of something.
- To spoil, damage, or impair the appearance, quality, or effectiveness of something.
- To detract from the success or character of a person, achievement, or occasion.
"The surveyors warned that further construction could mar the surrounding landscape."
"A single careless remark marred an otherwise successful evening."
"The new extension has marred the character of the historic building."
A small flaw can mar an otherwise perfect thing: one scratch may spoil the whole surface.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does marring come from?
The verb comes from Middle English marren, meaning “to damage, spoil, or injure,” which developed from Old English merran. The exact origin of the Old English word is uncertain. Modern forms include the third-person singular marred and the gerund marring, reflecting the regular historical change of a final short vowel before a consonant followed by -ing.
Related word forms
How marring is actually used
Mar is relatively formal and often implies damage to something that was previously good, attractive, or successful. It is frequently used in figurative contexts involving reputation, achievements, celebrations, or scenery.