deface
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to mar the surface or appearance of; disfigure.
to deface a wall by writing on it.
- Synonyms:
- spoil
-
to efface, obliterate, or injure the surface of, as to make illegible or invalid.
to deface a bond.
verb
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Related Words
See mar.
Other Word Forms
- defaceable adjective
- defacement noun
- defacer noun
- undefaceable adjective
- undefaced adjective
Etymology
Origin of deface
1275–1325; Middle English defacen, from Old French desfacier, equivalent to des- dis- 1 + facier ( face face + -ier infinitive suffix)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Asked about his evolution, Maupal said he never considered himself a “rebel artist,” or the type of graffiti artist who remains anonymous because his artwork is, legally speaking, defacing a public space.
From Seattle Times
Hundreds of protesters swarmed into the legislature that night, defacing pictures and smashing furniture.
From Seattle Times
“There’s laws against defacing and damaging gravesites and anyone that is caught in any act ... will obviously be met with the consequences of being arrested,” a police source said.
From Los Angeles Times
In late October, he posted a photo showing that the “I Stand With Israel” sign outside his congressional office had been defaced with red handprints.
From Washington Times
He cited a Jewish fraternity being defaced with graffiti that read “The Jews are Nazis” and spoke of friends who no longer wear yarmulkes on campus out of fear.
From Seattle Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
