desecration

/ˌdesɪˈkreɪʃn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌdesɪˈkreɪʃn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌde-si-ˈkrā-shən/ (ame, mw)

desecration — noun

1. The act of damaging, destroying, or showing a complete lack of respect for somet

1.名詞B2
釋義

The act of damaging, destroying, or showing a complete lack of respect for something that people consider holy or extremely worthy of honour — for example, damaging a church altar, burning a national flag, or painting offensive symbols on a memorial.

例句

Kwame called the graffiti on the ancient temple a desecration of his ancestors' faith.

desecration + of + [sacred place/faith]

After vandals damaged dozens of tombstones, the community treated each broken headstone as a desecration.

treat as a desecration — metaphorical use

同義詞
  • profanation

    More formal; focuses on treating something holy with contempt rather than physical damage.

  • defilement

    Emphasises making something sacred dirty or impure; often carries a religious tone.

  • violation

    Broader — can refer to breaking any rule or invading a space, not only sacred ones.

反義詞
  • consecration

    The act of making something holy, the opposite process to desecration.

  • veneration

    Deep respect shown toward something sacred; the attitude that desecration violates.

文法句型

desecration + of + [sacred object/place]

用法筆記

Desecration is an uncountable noun and does not normally take an article (a/an). Use an article only when it is followed by a descriptive phrase, as in 'a desecration of everything we believe in'. The verb form is desecrate; the person who commits the act is a desecrator.

常見錯誤

❌The vandals made a desecration to the church.
✅The vandals committed a desecration of the church.
💡desecration collocates with 'of', not 'to', and the usual verb is 'commit' or 'carry out'.
❌The graffiti was a desecration.' (when no sacred meaning is involved)
✅The graffiti on the war memorial was a desecration.
💡use desecration only when the thing damaged is considered holy or deeply respected, not for ordinary property damage.