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

• vandalize
• destroy
• demolish
• ruin
• smash
• violate

Examples of deface in a Sentence

The building was defaced with graffiti.

He was fined for defacing public property.

Recent Examples on the Web

At the very worst, an immature 18-year-old makes a horrific decision on a whim to deface his or her torso with a tableau of repulsive images that could potentially cause medical complications later in life. —Scott Liftman, Boston Herald, 25 July 2025

The artwork had just been restored on May 30 after it was initially defaced in April. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2025

But deflating my tires and defacing my car won't speed up the change, nor will shaming me. —Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 24 May 2025

Murals depicting solidarity with Palestinians and immigrants were defaced that same month in Pilsen. —William Tong, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2025

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

Rhymes for deface

• abase
• airspace
• apace
• backspace
• biface
• birthplace
• blackface
• boldface
• bookcase
• braincase
• briefcase
• carcase

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