WordGarden.iomaim
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /mˈeɪm/
US
- /ˈmeɪm/
Meanings
Verb
to wound someone so badly that a body part is permanently damaged or lost
to severely damage or impair something
Beyond the definition
To maim someone means to hurt them so badly that a body part is badly damaged or they lose some ability to use it properly. It is a strong, harsh word, and it often appears in stories about violence, war, explosions, or serious accidents. The harm is not minor and is usually long-lasting. You would not use it for a small cut or a simple bruise. If someone loses a hand in battle or is left unable to walk after an attack, this is the kind of damage the word describes.
The word "maim" has a heavy, serious feel. It describes hurting someone so badly that their body is permanently damaged, badly disfigured, or left unable to work in the normal way. It is much stronger than simply saying someone was injured. The damage is severe, and it often changes the person's life in a lasting way.
You will usually see this word in contexts of violence, war, explosions, animal attacks, or major accidents. A soldier might be maimed by a blast. A person could be maimed in a factory accident or by a reckless driver. In each case, the idea is not just pain in the moment, but serious physical harm that remains afterward.
Historically, the word was also used in legal and historical writing about punishments in which a person lost a hand, foot, or some other part of the body. That older use helps explain why the word still sounds so harsh today.
It is not a word for minor injuries. A scrape, a small cut, or even many broken bones would not usually be described this way unless they caused lasting loss of use or permanent damage. When this word is used, the speaker is pointing to severe bodily harm, often with lifelong consequences.
Examples
- 1
Industrial accident
The explosion killed two workers and maimed several others.
- 2
Car crash
She was maimed in a car crash when she was nineteen.
- 3
War aftermath
Many civilians were maimed by land mines years after the war ended.
- 4
Permanent injury
The attack left him maimed for life.
- Phrasemaimed for life
permanently maimed
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Figurative use
Critics warned that the funding cuts would maim the hospital system.
- Usage
maim can mean seriously damage something, especially in strong or dramatic language
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- maimnounverb
Forms
- maimedpast tenseverbnoun
- maiming-ing formverbnoun
- maimspluralnounverb