Standard Lemma guide

maim

noun · verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /meɪm/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪm
  • CMU ARPABET: M EY1 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A severe, serious wound.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To wound seriously; to cause permanent loss of function of a limb or part of the body.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He was maimed by a bear.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mutilate

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

injure or wound seriously and leave permanent disfiguration or mutilation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • people were maimed by the explosion

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: injure, wound

Narrower terms: mutilate, mar, cripple, lame

History

Etymology

From Middle English maymen, mahaymen, from Anglo-Norman maheimer, mahaigner, of Germanic origin; see mayhem.

Across languages

Translations

68 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: شَوِهَ (šawiha) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Arabic: بَتَرَ (batara) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Armenian: հաշմանդամ դարձնել (hašmandam darjnel) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Armenian: հաշմել (hašmel) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Armenian: խեղել (xeġel) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Belarusian: няве́чыць (njavjéčycʹ) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Belarusian: зняве́чыць (znjavjéčycʹ) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Belarusian: кале́чыць (kaljéčycʹ) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Belarusian: скале́чыць (skaljéčycʹ) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Belarusian: пакале́чыць (pakaljéčycʹ) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Bulgarian: осакатя́вам (osakatjávam) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Bulgarian: осакате́я (osakatéja) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Catalan: mutilar — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Chinese Mandarin: 殘害 /残害 (cánhài) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Chinese Mandarin: 致殘 /致残 (zhìcán) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Czech: zmrzačit — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Czech: zohavit — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Danish: lemlæste — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Dutch: verminken — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Finnish: vammauttaa — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Finnish: silpoa — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Finnish: runnella — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • French: mutiler — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • French: estropier — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Galician: mutilar — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Galician: fanar — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Galician: toller — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Galician: eivar — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Georgian: დასახიჩრება (dasaxičreba) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • German: verstümmeln — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • German: verschandeln — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Ancient Greek: πηρόω (pēróō) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Hungarian: csonkít — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Icelandic: limlesta — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Italian: menomare — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Italian: mutilare — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Japanese: 不具にする (fugu ni suru) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Korean: 불구로 만들다 (bulgu-ro mandeulda) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Latin: dēbilitō — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Latin: mutilō — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Latin: truncō — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Macedonian: осакатува (osakatuva) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Macedonian: осакати (osakati) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Māori: whakatūroro — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Māori: whakahauā — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Norwegian: lemleste — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Polish: okaleczać — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Polish: okaleczyć — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Portuguese: mutilar — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Romanian: mutila — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Russian: уве́чить (uvéčitʹ) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Russian: изуве́чить (izuvéčitʹ) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Russian: кале́чить (kaléčitʹ) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Russian: покале́чить (pokaléčitʹ) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Russian: искале́чить (iskaléčitʹ) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Russian: уро́довать (uródovatʹ) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Russian: изуро́довать (izuródovatʹ) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Sicilian: acciuncari — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Sicilian: mutilari — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Sicilian: truncari — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Sicilian: tagghiari — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Spanish: mutilar — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Swedish: lemlästa — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Swedish: stympa — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Ukrainian: ні́вечити (nívečyty) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Ukrainian: зні́вечити (znívečyty) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Ukrainian: калі́чити (kalíčyty) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body
  • Ukrainian: покалі́чити (pokalíčyty) — to cause permanent loss of a part of the body