deface

de·face

verb \di-ˈfās, dē-\

Definition of DEFACE

transitive verb

1

: to mar the appearance of : injure by effacing significant details <deface an inscription>

2

: impair

3

obsolete : destroy

— de·face·ment \-ˈfās-mənt\ noun

— de·fac·er noun

Examples of DEFACE

1. The building was defaced with graffiti.
2. He was fined for defacing public property.

Origin of DEFACE

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

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to DEFACE

Synonyms: vandalize, trash

Antonyms: doctor, fix, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair, revamp

Related Words: desecrate, violate; graffiti, tag; bang up, break, damage, harm, hurt, impair, mar, shatter, spoil; annihilate, demolish, destroy, devastate, ravage, raven, raze, ruin, scourge, smash, tear down, total, waste, wipe out, wrack, wreck; sabotage; depredate, despoil, loot, maraud, pillage, plunder, ransack, sack, spoliate

Near Antonyms: conserve, preserve, protect, save; salvage; build, rebuild

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with DEFACE

abase, airspace, Alsace, ambsace, apace, backspace, best-case, biface, birthplace, blackface, boldface, bookcase, bootlace, braincase, briefcase, clubface, crankcase, cyclase, debase, disgrace, displace, dogface, doughface, efface, embrace, emplace, encase, enchase, enlace, erase, euclase, firebase, fireplace, footpace, footrace, foreface, freebase, gyrase, half-space, hard case, headspace, hydrase, Jerez, kinase, lactase, lightface, lipase, lyase, maltase, manes, millrace, milreis, misplace, mutase, notecase, null-space, nutcase, outface, outpace, outrace, paleface, postface, Quilmes, replace, scapegrace, shoelace, showcase, showplace, slipcase, smearcase, someplace, staircase, subbase, subspace, suitcase, tailrace, tenace, typeface, ukase, unbrace, unlace, watchcase, wheelbase, whey-face, whiteface, workplace, worst-case