Deface — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /di-ˈfās/ de·face

Meaning & Definition of Deface

Deface (verb)

  1. to mar the appearance of, injure by effacing significant details
  2. impair
  3. destroy

Deface (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to deliberately cause the damage or destruction of another's property

    "the principal vowed to get the punks who defaced the statue in front of the school"

    similar: trash, vandalize
    related: 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: conserve, preserve, protect, save, salvage, build, rebuild

  2. to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of

    "years of wear had defaced the fine engraving on the coins"

    similar: blemish, bloody, break, compromise, crab, cripple, cross (up), damage, disfigure, endamage, flaw, harm, hurt, impair, injure, mar, spoil, vitiate
    related: deteriorate, enervate, enfeeble, undermine, weaken, erode, scour, wash out, wear (away), blight, tarnish, dent, ding, dint, botch, gum (up), queer, lacerate, wound, disable, hamstring, lame, maim, mangle, mutilate, torment, torture, annihilate, bang up, bash, batter, clobber, crush, dash, decimate, demolish, desolate, destroy, devastate, do in, pulverize, raze, ruin, scourge, shatter, smash, tear down, total, waste, wipe out, wreck
    opposite: doctor, fix, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair, revamp
    near: cure, heal, help, rectify, rehabilitate, remedy, edit, remodel, revise, ameliorate, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect, refine

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Deface

The most common words with a similar meaning to Deface:

trash, vandalize, blemish, bloody, break, compromise, crab, cripple, cross (up), damage, disfigure, endamage, flaw, harm, hurt, impair, injure, mar, spoil, vitiate

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Deface

Words with the opposite meaning of Deface:

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

Related Words for Deface

desecrate, violate, graffiti, tag, bang up, shatter, 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

Near Antonyms of Deface

conserve, preserve, protect, save, salvage, build, cure, heal, help, rectify, rehabilitate, remedy, edit, remodel, revise, ameliorate, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect, refine

Word Forms of Deface

Inflections: defaced, defacing, defaces

Derived words: defacement (noun), defacer (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Deface

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

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Deface

Frequently Asked Questions about Deface

What does "Deface" mean?

"Deface" means to mar the appearance of, injure by effacing significant details. As a verb, it is defined as: to mar the appearance of, injure by effacing significant details. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Deface"?

Other words for "Deface" include trash, vandalize, blemish, bloody, break, compromise, crab and cripple. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Deface" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Deface"?

There are 88 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Deface". Common alternatives include trash, vandalize, blemish, bloody, break, compromise, crab, cripple, cross (up) and damage.

What is the opposite of "Deface"?

Antonyms of "Deface" include doctor, fix, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct and renovate. Near antonyms include conserve, preserve, protect and save.

How do you use "Deface" in a sentence?

Examples of "Deface" in a sentence: "the principal vowed to get the punks who defaced the statue in front of the school"; "years of wear had defaced the fine engraving on the coins".

Is "Deface" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Deface" is a verb.

Is "Deface" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Deface" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Deface"?

"Deface" is pronounced /di-ˈfās/ and divided into syllables as de·face.