Efface
To erase or rub out; to cause something to disappear or become indistinct by removing traces.
verbEfface
To erase or rub out; to cause something to disappear or become indistinct by removing traces.
verbImagine This
Imagine an old inscription on a weathered statue whose letters fade away over centuries, until only a smooth surface remains where the words once stood.
Sounds Like
deface
Looks Like
Deface
Remember This
Efface means to erase or rub out, not to damage the surface. It is often contrasted with deface, which means to mar or spoil the appearance of something.
Other Forms
Connect With
erase, wipe out, expunge, obliterate, remove
Note
Efface is typically transitive (efface something). It is commonly used with memories, inscriptions, evidence, or traces rather than physical damage to a surface. Do not confuse with deface, which implies damage or disfigurement.
Study Deeper
- The weathered inscriptions on the stone tablet were effaced by centuries of rain.
- Over time, the memory of the incident was effaced from her mind.
From French effacer 'to erase,' from Latin ex- 'out' + facere 'to do/make' (to make disappear); the sense evolved from removing or clearing away to erasing traces.
Think 'EFF-ace' as 'erase the FACE'—imagine erasing the face from a photograph to make it disappear.
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Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Expunge
verbTo erase or remove completely; to blot out or obliterate, especially a record, memory, or evidence.
Obliterate
verbTo wipe out; to erase completely or destroy utterly.
Abandon
verbTo give up completely, to desert or leave behind, or to relinquish a claim, plan, or responsibility.
Abate
verbTo decrease in amount or intensity; to reduce or end something.
Abolish
verbTo formally end or repeal a system, practice, or institution; to officially put an end to something established.
Abridge
verbTo shorten (a text, speech, or other work) by omitting parts; to condense.