to deface

Examples

• All

• The students were punished for defacing school property with graffiti.

• Many of the posters had been defaced or partially torn off.

  Academic text (1990)

• Some young people had nothing better to do than deface an abandoned church.

  Fiction book (2000)

• Thousands of hours to create, and they defaced it in seconds.

  Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (2006)

• Can you imagine defacing a work of art like this with a color like that?

  The Rookie (1990)

• We're going to have to be clever if we want to see more than this defaced wall.

  Academic text (2007)

• His name on the painting was defaced, suggesting that eventually this man fell out of official favor.

  Academic text (2007)

• You're defacing city property.

  Across the Universe (2007)

• The murals of robed saints had been defaced with graffiti scrawled in dried blood.

  Fiction book (2000)

• She noticed that someone had defaced the poster by tearing it down.

Synonyms

D

to damage

vsto deface

323 1.4

To harm something so it becomes less useful, valuable, or healthy

is specifically about spoiling the surface or appearance rather than general harm

T

to tarnish

vsto deface

65 4.9

To make something like metal or a reputation lose its shine

focuses on visible spoilage or surface damage rather than loss of shine only

M

to mutilate

vsto deface

• NSFW

44 7.4

Damage something by cutting or removing parts so it looks ruined

may be less extreme and often means surface spoil rather than total ruin

V

to vandalize

vsto deface

43 4.9

To damage public or private property on purpose

can be accidental or deliberate and focuses on spoiling the surface

D

to defile

vsto deface

36 8.6

To make something dirty or harm its reputation

is mainly about visible surface damage rather than dirtiness or disgrace

M

to mar

vsto deface

29 5.3

To damage how something looks or its quality

is similar but emphasizes surface or visible harm

D

to do a job on

vsto deface

• UK

22 7.7

Damage or spoil something badly

can mean milder surface spoil rather than complete ruin

D

to disfigure

vsto deface

15 5.8

Spoil the appearance of a person or thing by damaging it

focuses on spoiling the surface or look without needing deformation

B

to blemish

vsto deface

1 5.5

To make something look less perfect or attractive

refers more to visible surface spoilage than slight imperfections

U

to uglify

vsto deface

1 8.5

Make something look bad and spoil its appearance

stresses spoiling the surface or appearance rather than only ugliness

A

to abrase

vsto deface

• Archaic

1 9.9

Wear away the surface of something by rubbing or scraping

covers surface damage broadly, not only caused by abrasion

Antonyms

R

to restore

261 3.5

Return something like a painting or building to its original working condition

B

to beautify

11 3.2

To make a place or person more attractive by adding decorations like paint

How Damaging

to destroy

∞ 1.0

to vandalize

43 4.9

to deface

26 5.8

to mar

29 5.3

to scratch

100 1.1

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology