Pockmarked

Describing a surface marked with many small depressions or scars, often caused by a disease (like smallpox) or other damage. It gives the impression of a rough, uneven texture, and can be used to describe skin, but also other surfaces such as roads, planets, or even metaphorical concepts. The word suggests a history of imperfection or damage and the permanent residue of those past events. The severity of the pockmarking is often implied, but the more pocks, the more significant the descriptor.

Pockmarked meaning with examples

• Years of harsh weather had left the ancient stone wall deeply pockmarked, a testament to its endurance. The surface was a mottled array of tiny pits and grooves, reflecting a long and tumultuous history of both natural weathering and human impact.
• Her face, once smooth and unblemished, was now pockmarked from a childhood bout of chickenpox, a constellation of small indentations forever etched into her skin and a constant reminder of her past health.
• The bombed-out city was a pockmarked landscape of shattered buildings and vacant lots, the legacy of a brutal war that had scarred the very ground upon which it stood.
• The Martian surface, as seen in the satellite images, revealed a vast and pockmarked expanse, craters marking the history of the planet’s violent collisions with asteroids.
• The old leather of the antique suitcase was pockmarked with age, the imperfections adding character and telling the story of countless journeys and adventures. The faded surface spoke volumes.