mutilate

IPA/ˈmjuːtɪleɪt/
KK[mjˈutəlˌet]IPA/ˈmjuːtɪleɪt/

mutilate — verb

  • mutilatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • mutilateshe / she / it
  • mutilatedpast simple
  • mutilating-ing form

1. to damage a person's or animal's body, or something that resembles a body, sever

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to damage a person's or animal's body, or something that resembles a body, severely by cutting, tearing, or breaking off a part such as a finger, ear, or limb

例句

The burglars mutilated the security guard's arm with a metal bar during the robbery.

active: mutilate + body part with + weapon

Salma found her cat mutilated near the railway line, its tail crushed by a passing train.

result state: found + body + mutilated near [location]

同義詞
  • maim

    focuses on disabling a person permanently rather than just damaging a body part; 'maim' always involves a living victim

  • disfigure

    focuses on damaging appearance, especially the face, rather than removing a body part

  • mangle

    implies crushing or twisting damage, often by a machine, rather than cutting

  • butcher

    suggests clumsy, bloody violence and is often used for animals killed for meat

反義詞
  • heal

    the opposite process — restoring damaged body tissue

  • mend

    repairing what was broken or torn

  • restore

    bringing something back to its original condition

文法句型

mutilate + body / body part

be mutilated by + agent

mutilate + object + beyond recognition

用法筆記

Frequently passive: the victim or injured body part is the grammatical subject, and the attacker is introduced by 'by'. The verb is rarely used without an explicit or clearly implied object — it is almost always transitive.

常見錯誤

❌The attacker killed the victim by cutting off his ear.
✅The attacker mutilated the victim by cutting off his ear.
💡'kill' means to cause death; 'mutilate' means to damage a body part severely without necessarily ending a life.
❌The dog wounded the doll's arm.
✅The dog mutilated the doll by tearing off its arm.
💡'wound' suggests a cut or injury to living tissue; 'mutilate' fits destruction of body-like objects (statues, dolls) by removing parts.

2. to ruin a piece of creative work — such as a story, song, film, or speech — by m

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to ruin a piece of creative work — such as a story, song, film, or speech — by making destructive cuts, rewrites, or changes that strip away its original form or quality

例句

Kemi's short story was mutilated by the editor, who cut out the ending she loved most.

passive: be mutilated by + agent (editor)

Paul complained that the film adaptation had utterly mutilated the original novel's plot.

active: mutilate + abstract object (plot)

同義詞
  • spoil

    a gentler, more general word; 'spoil' does not carry the violent imagery of 'mutilate'

  • butcher

    informal, suggests clumsy and careless destruction of creative work

  • vandalize

    usually refers to physical damage to property, not abstract works

反義詞
  • improve

    making something better rather than worse

  • enhance

    adding value rather than destroying it

  • refine

    polishing and perfecting a piece of work

文法句型

mutilate + creative work (story, film, melody, speech)

be mutilated by + agent (editor, censor, director)

用法筆記

Common in reviews, criticism, and discussions of adaptations: the verb expresses strong disapproval of changes made to an original work. The agent is typically an editor, director, translator, or censor.

常見錯誤

❌The critic mutilated the film with a bad review.
✅The film was mutilated by the director's bad choices.
💡'mutilate' refers to damaging the work itself, not criticizing it; reviews express opinions, while mutilation changes the work.