vandalize

verb

van·​dal·​ize ˈvan-də-ˌlīz How to pronounce vandalize (audio)
vandalized; vandalizing

transitive verb

: to subject to vandalism : damage
vandalization noun

Did you know?

At one point in Frodo’s journey in The Lord of the Rings, J. R. R. Tolkien depicts an ancient statue overlooking a crossroads: “Its head was gone, and in its place was set in mockery a round rough-hewn stone, rudely painted … in the likeness of a grinning face with one large red eye in the midst of its forehead.” The statue had been vandalized by orcs, but the roots of vandalize have more in common with the name of a Tolkien hero. Vandalize comes from the noun vandal, which was originally capitalized and referred to a member of a Germanic people who lived south of the Baltic Sea and sacked Rome in the year 455 CE. This sacking is what likely led to the use of the lower-case vandal for someone who damages or destroys property. The Late Latin word for such a Vandal was Vandalī, a word probably borrowed from a Germanic verb meaning “wend, turn” that also gave rise to the Old English Ēarendel, the name of a mythological figure that inspired Tolkien’s creation of Eärendil, a mariner who wends his way across the sky of Middle Earth carrying the morning star.

Examples of vandalize in a Sentence

Our car was vandalized in the parking lot. he decided to vandalize the store because the owner had kicked him out
Recent Examples on the Web Aid trucks have been vandalized and drivers beaten, Lazzarini said, including by an armed Bedouin group along the southern border. Claire Parker, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024 The operation, extending back to last year, involved a series of attacks, including vandalizing the cars of the interior minister and several monuments. Jim Sciutto, CNN, 20 Feb. 2024 City crews on Friday took an initial step toward securing an unfinished complex of downtown Los Angeles high-rise towers that have been vandalized with graffiti and used for dangerous social media stunts after the developer ran out of money. John Antczak, Fortune, 17 Feb. 2024 The suspects, according to a statement from the Wichita Police Department, vandalized and removed nearly all of the bronze statue in McAdams Park on Wednesday night. USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2024 Last month, a crowd vandalized and burned an empty Waymo car in San Francisco’s Chinatown, though the motive for that incident is still unclear. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024 But it has been severely vandalized, and is now surrounded by a chain-link fence. Sam Lubell, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 An eight-foot bronze statue of Willie Nelson in Austin, Texas, was vandalized over the weekend, Austin’s Fox affiliate reported. Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 26 Feb. 2024 For decades, the home was vandalized and began falling into disrepair. Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 15 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vandalize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

vandal + -ize

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vandalize was in 1832

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Dictionary Entries Near vandalize

Cite this Entry

“Vandalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vandalize. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

vandalize

verb
van·​dal·​ize ˈvan-dᵊl-ˌīz How to pronounce vandalize (audio)
vandalized; vandalizing
: to destroy or damage property on purpose

Legal Definition

vandalize

transitive verb
van·​dal·​ize ˈvand-ᵊl-ˌīz How to pronounce vandalize (audio)
vandalized; vandalizing
: to subject to vandalism

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