deface

verb

de·​face di-ˈfās 

dē-

defaced; defacing; defaces

transitive verb

1

: to mar the appearance of : injure by effacing significant details

deface an inscription

2

: impair

3

obsolete : destroy

defacement

di-ˈfās-mənt 

dē-

noun

defacer noun

Synonyms

• trash
• vandalize

Examples of deface in a Sentence

The building was defaced with graffiti.

He was fined for defacing public property.

Recent Examples on the Web

Min has faced a barrage of attacks related to his DUI arrest last year and last month had his campaign signs defaced with anti-Asian slurs. —Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024

Someone had carved the name of a man—one of the house’s former owners—upside down, a superstitious practice of cursing someone by defacing their name. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024

Unity of Fields also published photos showing the campus of UMass Amherst defaced with pro-Palestinian graffiti. —Bradford Betz, Fox News, 11 Oct. 2024

During the protest, some of the university’s historic sandstone buildings were defaced with graffiti. —Ryan MacAsero, The Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French *desfacer, *deffacer, from des- de- + face front, face

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

deface

verb

de·​face di-ˈfās 

: to destroy or damage the face or surface of

defacement

-ˈfās-mənt 

noun

defacer noun

Legal Definition

deface

transitive verb

de·​face di-ˈfās 

defaced; defacing

: to destroy or mar the face or surface of

defacement noun

defacer noun