efface

[ ih-feys ]

/ ɪˈfeɪs /

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See synonyms for: efface / effacing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), ef·faced, ef·fac·ing.

to wipe out; do away with; expunge: to efface one's unhappy memories.

to rub out, erase, or obliterate (outlines, traces, inscriptions, etc.).

to make (oneself) inconspicuous; withdraw (oneself) modestly or shyly.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of efface

From the Middle French word effacer, dating back to 1480–90; see ef-, face

OTHER WORDS FROM efface

ef·face·a·ble, adjectiveef·face·ment, nounef·fac·er, nounun·ef·face·a·ble, adjective

un·ef·faced, adjective

Words nearby efface

EFA, Efate, efavirenz, eff, effable, efface, effacement, effect, effective, effective current, effective dose

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use efface in a sentence

The laid-back, self-effacing Iowa State graduate grew up on AOL and traces his career arc with references to Myspace and TikTok.
Trail Blazers president made it from the Twitter streets to the corner office|Ben Golliver|February 26, 2022|Washington Post
After missing an opportunity to soul-search in Berlin, this gentle, self-effacing character must find the courage to fuse the pieces of their fragmented life without leaving home.
73 Great Things We Read, Listened to or Watched This Year|TIME Staff|December 27, 2021|Time
Few writers are so wise and self-effacing and emotionally honest all in one breath.
Jo Ann Beard, best known for her New Yorker essay about a shooting, returns with a beautiful new collection|Sara Lippmann|March 11, 2021|Washington Post
Even over video chat, Ishiguro, or “Ish” as he introduces himself, is charming and self-effacing company.
Kazuo Ishiguro on How His New Novel Klara and the Sun Is a Celebration of Humanity|Dan Stewart|March 2, 2021|Time

I hurried away, and it was long before I could efface the impression made upon my mind by this hideous spectacle.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
Thus disappeared from his life the only stain which his restoration had not been able utterly to efface.
The Seven Cardinal Sins: Envy and Indolence|Eugne Sue
Then he hastily laid earth in the interstices round it, and tried to efface all signs of its having been recently removed.
Jack Harkaway's Boy Tinker Among The Turks|Bracebridge Hemyng
Nothing can ever cure me, no dream of my mind can ever efface the dream of my heart.
The Child of Pleasure|Gabriele D'Annunzio
She has long been dead, but time will never efface from my mind a tender recollection of her kindness.
The Monctons: A Novel, Volume I|Susanna Moodie

British Dictionary definitions for efface

efface

/ (ɪˈfeɪs) /

verb (tr)

to obliterate or make dimto efface a memory

to make (oneself) inconspicuous or humble through modesty, cowardice, or obsequiousness

to rub out (a line, drawing, etc); erase

Derived forms of efface

effaceable, adjectiveeffacement, nouneffacer, noun

Word Origin for efface

C15: from French effacer, literally: to obliterate the face; see face

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

efface

Origin of efface

OTHER WORDS FROM efface

Words nearby efface

Words related to efface

How to use efface in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for efface

Derived forms of efface

Word Origin for efface