efface
verb
Simple meaning
To erase; to render illegible or indiscernible.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
ihfaysSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ɪˈfeɪs
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
transitive
To erase (as anything impressed or inscribed upon a surface); to render illegible or indiscernible.
intransitive
To make oneself inobtrusive as if due to modesty or diffidence.
transitive
To cause to disappear as if by rubbing out or striking out.
Make inconspicuous
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Typical Use
- Rare
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To erase (as anything impressed or inscribed upon a surface); to render illegible or indiscernible.
Used this way, efface is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Nearby words
- rub out , rarer, so it draws attention
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use efface
- “Efface the memory of the time in the camps.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.