deface

About 0.09 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. verb To damage or vandalize something, especially a surface, in a visible or conspicuous manner.

   After the painting was defaced a decade ago, it went viral and has been a tourist attraction ever since.

2. verb To void or devalue; to nullify or degrade the face value of.

   He defaced the I.O.U. notes by scrawling "void" over them.

3. verb To alter a coat of arms or a flag by adding an element to it.

   You get the Finnish state flag by defacing the national flag with the state coat of arms placed in the middle of the cross.

Similar words

disfigure blemish mar spoil defile downface defame efface vandalise destroy

Often followed by

the or it and any a them their his

Word family

defaced defacement defacements defacer defacers defaces defacing