Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who deliberately destroys or damages property, especially public property: A "vandal" is someone who commits acts of vandalism, meaning they willfully deface, damage, or destroy things that belong to others.
   • A member of an ancient Germanic people: Historically, a "Vandal" was a member of a Germanic tribe known for invading and sacking Rome in AD 455.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (Modern meaning):
  • The police are looking for the vandal who spray-painted graffiti on the school walls.
  • Someone broke the window and stole the cash register; it was an act of a vandal.
• Noun (Historical meaning):
  • The Vandals conquered North Africa in the 5th century.
  • The sack of Rome by the Vandals was a significant event in the decline of the Western Roman Empire.

Advanced Usage

• "Vandal" as a modifier: The term can be used attributively to describe actions or mentalities.
  • He was arrested for vandal behavior during the protest.
  • The vandal act of slashing the tires was caught on camera.

Variants and Related Words

• Vandalism (n): The action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property.
  • The city spends millions each year cleaning up vandalism.
• Vandalize (v): To deliberately destroy or damage property.
  • The empty building had been vandalized.
• Vandalistic (adj): Characteristic of or relating to vandalism.
  • The vandalistic tendencies of the group were well-known.

Synonyms

• Destroyer: A person or thing that destroys something.
• Defacer: A person who mars the appearance of something.
• Hooligan: A violent young troublemaker, typically one of a gang.
• Saboteur: A person who engages in sabotage.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Mindless vandal": A phrase used to emphasize the senseless or irrational nature of the destruction.
  • The park was ruined by mindless vandals.
• "Vandal's work": Used to describe the result of destructive actions.
  • The broken benches and litter were clearly a vandal's work.

Noun

1. a member of the Germanic people who overran Gaul and Spain and North Africa and sacked Rome in 455
2. someone who willfully destroys or defaces property