To maul means to attack and injure someone or something in a violent, brutal way, usually with claws or teeth. When a bear mauls a hiker, it claws and bites viciously, causing serious wounds. Wild animals like lions, tigers, and bears are strong enough to maul a person, and the injuries are often severe.

You might read in a news story that someone was mauled by a dog or that a seal was mauled by a shark.

People also use maul more loosely to describe rough handling that damages something, even when it's not an animal attack. If your little brother gets his hands on your carefully built LEGO creation and smashes it up, you might complain that he mauled it. When critics say a movie was mauled by reviewers, they mean it received brutal, savage criticism. A football team might maul its opponent by winning 45 to 3, completely dominating the game.

The word always suggests violence, force, and damage, whether literal or figurative.