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

In true Charlie Kirk fashion, a group of young people took matters into their own hands after a mural honoring the late conservative leader was defaced with vile messages. —Lorraine Taylor, FOXNews.com, 16 Sep. 2025

Authorities found weapons defaced with slurs and anti-Israel graffiti. —Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025

Someone had defaced it overnight with paper cutouts and red paint. —Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025

The Greenwich Village apartment building of New York Times Executive Editor Joseph Kahn was defaced with red paint and graffiti in the early hours of Friday morning. —Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 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