Synonyms of desecrate

desecrate

verb

ˈde-si-ˌkrāt 

as in to violate

to treat (a sacred place or object) shamefully or with great disrespect

vandals desecrated the cemetery last night by covering the tombstones with graffiti

Synonyms & Similar Words

• violate
• destroy
• defile
• ravage
• demolish
• profane
• ruin
• raid
• insult
• blaspheme
• rob
• contaminate
• pollute
• soil
• taint
• swear
• defame
• offend
• despoil
• affront
• decimate
• plunder
• devastate
• wreck
• curse
• sully
• raze
• desacralize
• annihilate
• poison
• deconsecrate
• desanctify
• sack
• pillage
• befoul
• desolate
• loot
• outrage
• foul
• spoil
• waste
• strip
• ransack
• crush

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• bless
• dedicate
• honor
• consecrate
• sanctify
• respect
• hallow
• purify
• cleanse
• purge

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of desecrate

The real end of Oak Street comes not from the feet and chompers of the dinosaurs but from a moviemaker who revives the idyllic 1980s only to desecrate them with wokeness. — Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2026

After desecrating the statue, the vandal returns the hammer to his pocket, scales the fence and flees into the night, the footage shows. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026

The penalty is identical to that for desecrating the flag or other national emblem of a foreign state, which was already in place. — News Desk, Artforum, 17 July 2026

There is simply no reason to desecrate a Miller Lite like this. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026