Definition

1. Verb (transitive):
   • To deliberately damage or destroy property, especially public property, in a senseless or malicious way. The action is typically associated with acts of vandalism, such as breaking, defacing, or spoiling something.

Usage

• The verb vandalise is used to describe the intentional act of causing damage. It is often used in the context of public spaces, buildings, vehicles, or artworks.
• It is a transitive verb and requires a direct object (the thing that is damaged).
• Example Structure:

Examples

• Verb:
  • Protesters vandalised several statues in the city square.
  • The abandoned building has been vandalised with graffiti.
  • It is a crime to vandalise public property like buses or park benches.

Advanced Usage

• "to be/get vandalised": This passive form is common when the focus is on the object that was damaged, not the person who caused the damage.
  • The newly renovated playground was vandalised just a week after it opened.

Variants and Related Words

• Vandalism (n): The action or crime of deliberately destroying or damaging property.
  • The police are investigating an act of vandalism at the school.
• Vandal (n): A person who deliberately destroys or damages property.
  • The vandals who spray-painted the wall were caught on camera.

Synonyms

• Deface: To spoil the surface or appearance of something, e.g., by drawing or writing on it.
• Destroy: To damage something so severely that it no longer exists or functions.
• Trash (informal): To wreck or destroy a place.
• Wreck: To destroy or severely damage something.

Antonyms

• Preserve: To maintain something in its original or existing state.
• Protect: To keep safe from harm or damage.
• Restore: To bring back to a former, original, or normal condition.

Related Phrases

• To cause criminal damage: A more formal or legal term for vandalising property.
• To smash up: An informal phrasal verb meaning to vandalise by breaking things.
  • The rioters smashed up shop windows.

Verb

1. destroy wantonly, as through acts of vandalism
   • vandalize the park