Meanings
present singular third person mutilates · participle present mutilating · participle past mutilated · past mutilated
- To physically harm as to impair use, notably by cutting off or otherwise disabling a vital part, such as a limb.
mutilated currency
2 more examples
Little old lady got mutilated late last night Werewolves of London again.
1978, “Werewolves of London”, in Warren Zevon, LeRoy Marinell and Waddy Wachtel (music), Excitable Boy, performed by Warren ZevonMANILA — The Philippine military said on Wednesday that troops had found the mutilated bodies of 17 civilians in the besieged southern city of Marawi, where government forces have been struggling to dislodge militants who have entrenched themselves for the last month.
2017 June 23, Felipe Villamor, “Philippine Military Says 17 Mutilated Civilian Bodies Found in Marawi”, in The New York Times - To destroy beyond recognition.
- figurativelyTo render imperfect or defective.
1 more example
For two reasons then it is right to be content with that which happens to thee; the one, because it was done for thee and prescribed for thee, and in a manner had reference to thee, originally from the most ancient causes spun with thy destiny; and the other, because even that which comes severally to every man is to the power which administers the universe a cause of felicity and perfection, nay even of its very continuance. For the integrity of the whole is mutilated, if thou cuttest off anything whatever from the conjunction and the continuity either of the parts or of the causes. And thou dost cut off, as far as it is in thy power, when thou art dissatisfied, and in a manner triest to put anything out of the way.
1862, George Long (translation of Marcus Aurelius), Meditations, Book V
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Ancient Greek κολοβόω
- κολοβόω (kolobóō)To physically harm as to impair use
Arabic شَوِهَ, بَتَرَ
- شَوِهَ (šawiha)To physically harm as to impair use
- بَتَرَ (batara)To physically harm as to impair use
- جَذَعَ (jaḏaʕa)To physically harm as to impair use
- جَدَعَ (jadaʕa)To physically harm as to impair use
Bulgarian осакатявам, повреждам
- осакатявам (osakatjavam)To physically harm as to impair use
- повреждам (povreždam)To destroy beyond recognition
Chinese Mandarin 殘害 /残害, 殘毀 /残毁
- 殘害 /残害 (cánhài)To physically harm as to impair use
- 殘毀 /残毁 (cánhuǐ)To physically harm as to impair use
Danish lemlæste
- lemlæsteTo physically harm as to impair use
Dutch verminken, verminken
- verminkenTo physically harm as to impair use
- verminkenTo destroy beyond recognition
- verhakkelenTo destroy beyond recognition
- verminkenTo render imperfect or defective
Estonian moonutama
- moonutamaTo physically harm as to impair use
Finnish pahoinpidellä, runnella
- pahoinpidelläTo physically harm as to impair use
- runnellaTo physically harm as to impair use
- ruhjoaTo destroy beyond recognition
- runnellaTo destroy beyond recognition
- silpoaTo destroy beyond recognition
- turmellaTo render imperfect or defective
- tärvelläTo render imperfect or defective
French mutiler
- mutilerTo physically harm as to impair use
German verstümmeln, verschandeln
- verstümmelnTo physically harm as to impair use
- verschandelnTo physically harm as to impair use
Irish loit
- loitTo destroy beyond recognition
Japanese 切断する, ばらばらにする
- 切断する (setsudan suru)To physically harm as to impair use
- ばらばらにする (barabara ni suru)To physically harm as to impair use
- 不具にする (fugu ni suru)To physically harm as to impair use
- 骨抜きにする (honenuki ni suru)To render imperfect or defective
Latin discerpō, lacerō
- discerpōTo physically harm as to impair use
- lacerōTo destroy beyond recognition
Portuguese mutilar
- mutilarTo physically harm as to impair use
Romanian mutila, schilodi
- mutilaTo physically harm as to impair use
- schilodiTo physically harm as to impair use
- devastaTo destroy beyond recognition
- mutilaTo render imperfect or defective
Russian уве́чить, кале́чить
- уве́чить (uvéčitʹ)To physically harm as to impair use
- кале́чить (kaléčitʹ)To physically harm as to impair use
- уро́довать (uródovatʹ)To physically harm as to impair use
Spanish mutilar, mutilar
- mutilarTo physically harm as to impair use
- mutilarTo destroy beyond recognition
Swedish stympa
- stympaTo physically harm as to impair use
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
mutilate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mutilate
“mutilate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mutilate. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mutilate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mutilate.
Source: mutilate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.