marred
marred — verb
1. to damage the quality or appearance of something so that it is no longer as good
to damage the quality or appearance of something so that it is no longer as good, pleasant, or attractive as it was before
A nail scratch marred the surface of the wooden table during the move.
collocation: mar the surface of [object]
The beautiful view was marred by an ugly new building next to the park.
passive: be marred by [agent]
A few spelling mistakes marred what was an otherwise excellent report from the intern.
Political disagreements marred what should have been a relaxed family dinner at the weekend.
An ugly scar marred the delivery driver's face after the terrible car accident.
文法句型
mar + object
be marred by + agent
用法筆記
Frequently passive ('be marred by') when the focus is on what caused the damage rather than the result.
常見錯誤
marred — noun
1. an imperfection on the surface or in the quality of something that reduces its v
an imperfection on the surface or in the quality of something that reduces its value, beauty, or perfection
The jeweller found a tiny mar on the diamond's surface using a special lamp.
collocation: a mar on the surface of [object]
A small mar in the paintwork showed where the chair hit the wall.
The building manager noticed a mar on the new countertop and asked for a replacement.
A single mar near the handle made the beautiful vase less valuable.
The chef examined every plate carefully, looking for any mar before serving the guests.
- flaw
more common and general; can be visible or functional
- blemish
usually a visible surface mark, especially on skin or objects
- imperfection
slightly more formal; means any deviation from perfect condition
文法句型
a mar on/in [something]
without a mar
用法筆記
Often used with an indefinite article and a modifier (a small mar, a tiny mar) to describe a specific visible defect. Less common in everyday speech than synonyms like 'flaw' or 'blemish'.