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 of deface

• 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

This incident was the second time the controversial mural was defaced. —Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 26 Mar. 2026

This exclusion protects the home warranty company from homeowners who may try to get replacements for appliances or home system components by defacing or damaging them purposefully. —Dan Simms, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026

Last summer, Zeevi, who owns an HVAC company in San Jose, told KTVU that the vans at his shop were defaced with swastikas. —Lucy Hodgman, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Mar. 2026

Denilson Pires was arrested and charged with carrying a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without an FID card, and defacing a firearm serial number. —Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 10 Mar. 2026

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