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Definition of defile : 1. Any narrow passage or gorge in which troops can march only in a file, or with a narrow front; a long, narrow pass between hills, rocks, etc.
2. Same as Defilade.
3. The act of defilading a fortress, or of raising the exterior works in order to protect the interior. See Defilade.
4. To corrupt the chastity of; to debauch; to violate.
5. To injure in purity of character; to corrupt.
6. To make ceremonially unclean; to pollute.
7. To make foul or impure; to make filthy; to dirty; to befoul; to pollute.
8. To march off in a line, file by file; to file off.
9. To soil or sully; to tarnish, as reputation; to taint.

Synonyms:

harm, cloud, buy, misemploy, mottle, corrupt, congest, injure, sex, upon, grease one's palms, subvert, deprave, clog up, demoralise, ruin, oesophagus, blacken, choke off, revile, haze over, gullet, dishonor, poison, obscure, clog, damage, dapple, prostitute, demoralize, religion, malign, choke, becloud, maculate, befog, asperse, overcast, vituperate, bribe, victimize, rail at, gorge, misdirect, begrime, infect, obnubilate, back up, sacred, pervert, vitiate, slander, profane, fog, calumniate, disgrace, aggrieve, smutch, black, wrong, besoil, persecute, esophagus, mist, clean, impose on _or_ oppress

muddy, contaminate, smudge, smirch, dirty, besmirch, stain, smear, streak, sully, taint, tarnish, foul, putrefy, pollute, befoul, soil

degrade, debase, misuse, despoil, maltreat, ill-treat, debauch, ill-use, desecrate, abuse, violate

molest, ravish, spoil, rape, deflower

condemn, admonish, defame, disparage, discredit, disapprove, censure, deride, renounce, castigate, blame, criticize, scorn, chide, upbraid, denounce, reproach, vilify, chasten, chastise, denigrate, deprecate

Usage examples:

• No one who had not seen him ride would have dreamed that he was fresh from snatching a prisoner at the bottom of a neck- breaking defile. - "Rung Ho!", Talbot Mundy.
• It was late in the afternoon when they entered a narrow defile between two precipitous mountain walls, which looked as though some huge giant had cut out one slice from the top to the bottom of the mountain. - "Princess Maritza", Percy Brebner.
• To behold the skill and dexterity with which the guide let himself down, from rock to rock, in this dreadful defile, loaded as he was, excited both in Mr. George and Rollo a continual sentiment of wonder. - "Rollo in Switzerland", Jacob Abbott.