Deface
/dɪˈfeɪs/
verbB2
Definition
To deface something means to spoil its surface or look, often by writing, drawing, or making unwanted marks on it. People usually deface objects like walls, signs, or buildings by adding graffiti or scratches that make them look bad or damaged.
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See It in Action
To spoil the surface or appearance of something by making marks on it
- •Someone defaced the school walls with spray paint.
- •The old sign was defaced by scratches and stickers.
- •The statue was defaced during the protest.
To damage the value or reputation of something by spoiling its appearance
- •Vandalism can deface a community’s public spaces.
- •The company’s image was defaced by false rumors.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'deface' like 'damage,' but it focuses on making the surface look bad, not breaking it completely
- ✓Picture a clean wall with bright paint, then imagine someone drawing on it with a marker, making it dirty or ugly
- ✓It's the feeling when you see a beautiful statue or sign ruined by ugly writing or scratches
- ✓Sounds like 'de-FACE' → imagine someone taking a nice face and putting a mark or scratch on it, spoiling its look
- ✓Think of graffiti on public walls: it changes the look from clean to messy and unwanted
- ✓NOT like 'destroy' (which means to break something completely), deface only harms the outside look, not the whole object
- ✓NOT like 'clean' (which makes something look better), deface makes something look worse or spoiled
- ✓NOT like 'paint' (which adds color nicely), deface adds marks that are unwanted or harmful
Try Other Words
- •Vandalize: to deliberately damage or spoil public or private property (Use when talking about illegal or cruel damage, often including defacing)
- •Mar: to spoil the beauty or perfection of something (Use when the damage is about making something less beautiful or perfect)
- •Damage: to harm or break something (Use in general contexts of harm, not only surface marks)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: prefix "de-" (meaning to do the opposite or remove) + "face" (the front or surface of something)
- •Etymology: From Latin "facies" meaning face or appearance, combined with "de-" to imply removing or spoiling the face or surface
- •Historical development: First used in English in the late 1400s to mean spoiling or removing the surface or appearance of something
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to describe graffiti or other marks that spoil buildings, signs, or objects
Reflect & Connect
•How do you feel when you see a beautiful place or object that has been defaced? Why do you think people do this?
•Can defacing ever be seen as art or a form of expression? When does it cross the line into damage?
Fill in the blanks
1.People often deface public property by ___ graffiti or stickers on it.
2.When a building is defaced, its ___ is changed from clean to damaged or ugly.
3.Deface is different from destroy because it only harms the ___, not the whole object.
4.The statue was defaced during the protest, which made many people feel ___.
5.Sometimes, deface is used to describe hurting a company’s ___ by bad rumors.
6.To avoid defacing walls, many cities have rules against ___ on public surfaces.
7.If you see a sign that is defaced, you can usually still ___ what it says, but it looks worse.