vandal

CEFRB1

/ˈvændəl/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A person who deliberately damages public or private property.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A member of an ancient east Germanic tribe famous for sacking Rome.

Examples

  • The witness says that the vandal was around 18 years old.

  • Larry Ewing is a vandal.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
1
Synonyms
3

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. Of or relating to the Vandals.

  2. A person who needlessly destroys, defaces, or damages things, especially other people's property.

More examples

In context

  • The anonymous vandal was blocked after going on a vandalism spree.

  • Vandals spray-painted obscenities on the side of the building.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The police arrested the blank who had spray-painted graffiti on the school walls.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

1660s, “willful destroyer of what is beautiful or venerable”, from Vandal, referring to a member of an ancient Germanic people, the Vandals, who are associated with senseless destruction as a result of their sack of Rome under King Genseric in 455. During the Enlightenment, Rome was idealized, while the Goths and Vandals were blamed for its destruction. The Vandals may not have been any more destructive than other invaders of ancient times, but they did inspire English poet John Dryden to write, Till Goths, and Vandals, a rude Northern race, Did all the matchless Monuments deface (1694). However, the Vandals did intentionally damage statues, which may be why their name is associated with th...