deface[verb]Synonyms: vandalize, damage, deform, disfigure, mar, mutilate, spoil, tarnish
Contrasted words: mend, patch, repair, freshen, improve, refurbish, renew, restore, adorn, beautify, deck, decorate, embellish, ornament
Related Words: blemish,
damage,
harm,
impair,
injure,
mar,
spoil,
contort,
deform,
distort,
misshape,
batter,
mangle,
mutilate,
demolish,
destroy,
dilapidate,
ruin,
wreck
English Thesaurus: damage, harm, spoil, vandalize, sabotage, ... [TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲
de‧face /dɪˈfeɪs/
verb [transitive] to spoil the surface or appearance of something, especially by writing on it or breaking it:
Most of the monuments had been broken or defaced.—defacement noun [uncountable] [TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲
damage to cause physical harm to something or someone, or have a bad effect on them:
Several buildings were damaged by the earthquake. The other car wasn’t damaged. The scandal could damage his career.harm to have a bad effect on something:
They use chemicals that will harm the environment. The oil crisis could harm the economy.spoil to have a bad effect on something and make it less successful, enjoyable, useful etc:
We didn’t let the rain spoil our holiday. Local people say the new buildings will spoil the view.vandalize to deliberately damage buildings, vehicles, or public property:
All the public telephones in the area had been vandalized.sabotage /ˈsæbətɑːʒ/ to secretly damage machines or equipment so that they cannot be used, especially in order to harm an enemy:
There is evidence that the airplane was sabotaged.tamper with something to deliberately and illegally damage or change a part of something in order to prevent it from working properly:
The car’s brakes had been tampered with.desecrate to damage a church or other holy place:
The church had been desecrated by vandals.deface /dɪˈfeɪs/ to deliberately spoil the appearance of something by writing on it, spraying paint on it etc:
Someone had defaced the statue and painted it bright orange. [TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲