Marring
/ˈmɑːrɪŋ/noun
The act of damaging, spoiling, or impairing something’s appearance or quality.
Did you know?Marring is the present participle of “mar,” a verb probably inherited through Old Norse with an unusually physical sense of bruising or crushing.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*marzjaną
“To hinder, damage, or impair; a reconstructed Germanic ancestor associated with the later verb “mar.””
Viking Age
Old Norse
merja
“To bruise, crush, or damage.”
Middle English
Middle English
marren
“To spoil, damage, or impair.”
14th Century
English
mar
“To injure or spoil the appearance or quality of something.”
Modern English
English
marring
“Damaging or spoiling something; the -ing form of “mar.””