Meaning & use
effaced
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“effaced” is a form of “efface”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitiveformalliterary
Made oneself seem unimportant or modest, especially by staying quiet and not drawing attention.
Grammar: Often reflexive: efface yourself. It can also be used without an object in literary writing.
Patterns
- efface oneself
- efface yourself in something
She effaced herself at the party, letting her colleagues take all the credit.
He had effaced himself so completely that few people remembered his role in the project.
Rather than argue, she effaced herself and let the others decide.
verbtransitiveformal
Removed marks or writing from a surface so that they can no longer be seen.
Grammar: Takes an object: efface the writing. Often used in the passive: the words were effaced.
Patterns
- efface something from something
- be effaced
The inscription had been effaced by years of wind and rain.
Someone had effaced the name from the cover of the book.
The chalk marks were effaced with a damp cloth.
verbtransitiveformalliterary
Caused a memory, feeling, or fact to be forgotten or no longer noticeable.
Grammar: Takes an object; often used in the passive with from: the memory was effaced from her mind.
Patterns
- efface something from something
- be effaced from something
Time had effaced the pain of that summer.
The new buildings have effaced all trace of the old village.
His gentle manner effaced any memory of the earlier quarrel.
Word forms
| third person singular | effaces |
|---|---|
| past tense | effaced |
| past participle | effaced |
| -ing form | effacing |
Common combinations
- efface oneself
- He effaced himself during the meeting and said almost nothing.
- be effaced from something
- The old boundary was effaced from the map after the war.
- efface a memory
- She tried to efface the memory of that embarrassing day.
- efface the marks
- The cleaner effaced the marks on the whiteboard.
- self-effacing
- Despite her fame, she remained modest and self-effacing.
Synonyms and how they differ
- withdraw
- Focuses on physically or socially moving away; efface yourself is more about making yourself seem unimportant rather than leaving.
- erase
- Usually means removing marks or data physically; efface is more formal and can also mean removing a memory or impression.
- obliterate
- Stronger and more dramatic; it suggests total destruction, while efface often suggests a quiet removal.
Opposites
Word family
- effacement noun
- The act of making yourself unimportant or of removing something completely.
- self-effacing adjective
- Describes someone who does not like to talk about their own abilities or achievements.
- effaceable adjective
- Able to be removed or erased; rare and formal.
Commonly confused: effaced or erase? effaced or facade?
effaced vs erase
Erase is the everyday word for removing writing or data; efface is formal and often used about memories or a person's presence.
effaced vs facade
A facade is the front of a building or a false appearance; it sounds similar but has a completely different meaning.
Practice
Which sentence uses "effaced" correctly?
Choose one answer.
In option B, "effaced" means removed the marks, which fits the context of rain washing away a chalk drawing. Option An is wrong because you cannot "efface a meeting"; option C is wrong because you drink coffee, not efface it; option D is wrong because "efface" does not mean "go."
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “effaced”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.