Word: deface (verb)

Associations

"Deface" means to spoil the surface or appearance of something, usually by writing, drawing, or damaging it.

• Example 1: The kids defaced the school walls with graffiti. (They wrote or drew on the walls, making them look bad.)
• Example 2: Someone defaced the statue by scratching its face. (They damaged the statue's appearance.)
• Example 3: The old book's cover was defaced by water stains. (The cover was spoiled or damaged.) A similar word is "vandalize," which means to deliberately damage property, but "deface" specifically means spoiling the surface or appearance, often visually.

Substitution

Instead of "deface," you can say:

• spoil (but "spoil" is more general, not only surfaces)
• vandalize (more about damage in general, not only appearance)
• damage (general word, less specific about appearance)
• mar (means to spoil or ruin the appearance, often used in formal English)

Deconstruction

"Deface" comes from the prefix "de-" meaning "remove" or "reverse," and the root "face," meaning the surface or front of something. So, "deface" literally means to remove or spoil the face (surface) of something.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a place in your city or school where people might deface walls or objects?
• Have you ever seen something defaced? How did it make you feel?
• How is defacing different from simply dirtying or making something untidy?