Make Your Point > Archived Issues > MAR

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explore the archives: To mar something is to damage it: often to give it a flaw or a blemish. Think of a scandal involving steroid use, one that mars an athlete's career. That career is now b___ft of honor: lacking it completely, as if it's been stolen away. (To mar something is, often, to render it b___ft of its best quality.) make your point with... "MAR" To mar something is to mess it up, either a little bit (making it imperfect) or a lot (ruining it). Pronunciation: MAR (rhymes with "BAR") Part of speech: Transitive verb. (Like "eat," "try," and "want," all transitive verbs do something to an object. You eat a banana, try a game, and want a new phone. Likewise, something mars something else.) Other forms: marred, marring How to use it: Talk about one thing marring another, meaning the first thing messes up the second thing, either making it imperfect or really ruining it. Flaws and defects mar something's appearance or functionality; errors mar a document; glitches mar a performance or presentation; awkward or rude or violent parts of an event mar the whole thing, etc. Writers often use the passive voice with "mar," talking about how one thing is marred by another: "the games were marred by the players' bad behavior." This usage is common, handy, and clear, but sometimes you can take better advantage of the word's brevity when you stick to the active voice: "the players' bad behavior marred the games." examples: Humidity had seeped into the house, marring the wooden built-ins and allowing the old popcorn ceilings to gather mold. I usually don't mind secondhand books, but sometimes "gently used" actually means "so marred by highlighting and rips that entire paragraphs are unreadable." study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "mar" means when you can explain it without saying "damage" or "spoil." try it out: Think of a time something put a damper on your day (or part of it). Fill in the blanks: "_____ marred the whole (morning/afternoon/evening/day)." Example: "The shore adventures were amazing, but back on the ship, seasickness marred the evenings." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, we're playing "You Know, That Thing!" This game challenges your powers of recall. Start a timer: twenty seconds if you're an adult, longer if you're a kid or an English language learner. Read the description of each thing, and come up with its name. Try to name all three before your timer runs out. (Scroll all the way down for the answers.) Ready? Go! 1. The person who watches the baseball game closely and enforces the rules is the… 2. A chain (or group or cluster) of islands is an … 3. An alternate staircase for emergencies, often mounted to the outside of a building, is a… review today's word: 1. The opposite of MAR is A. STEER B. DEFER C. FIX 2. The team agreed it was the series of _____ that marred the season. A. early training sessions B. commercial endorsements C. injuries Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. C Answers to game questions: 1. umpire 2. archipelago (or "island chain" or "island group") 3. fire escape