befile
10 synonyms for befile, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To make something filthy or unclean.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Etymology
Came from Middle English befilen, from Old English befȳlan (“to befoul, defile, make dirty”), which traces to Proto-West Germanic *bifūlijan (“to make foul”); equivalent to be- + file. Cognate with Scots befile (“to befile”), West Frisian befûlje (“to dirty”), Dutch bevuilen (“to soil, dirty”) and German Low German bef...
Full origin of befile →