vandal
vandal — noun
1. A person who on purpose breaks, marks, or ruins things owned by other people or
A person who on purpose breaks, marks, or ruins things owned by other people or by the public, such as windows, walls, or vehicles.
Police caught the vandal who had spray-painted graffiti on the school walls.
The park bench was broken by a vandal who smashed it with a rock late at night.
passive: object + was broken by a vandal
Vandals scratched the paint on every car parked along the street during the night.
Neighbors reported seeing a vandal throw a brick through the shop window.
Niran's garden fence was kicked down by a group of vandals last weekend.
- hooligan
suggests noisy, group violence often at sports or public events, while vandal focuses on property damage
- delinquent
broader term for a young person who commits minor crimes, not limited to property damage
- troublemaker
general term for someone who causes problems, not specifically about damaging things
- protector
someone who guards or looks after property rather than damaging it
用法筆記
Frequently appears in news reports about crime or anti-social behaviour. The related noun vandalism describes the act itself, and the verb vandalize describes the action of destroying property on purpose.
常見錯誤
2. A person from an ancient Germanic people who invaded Roman territory, controlled
A person from an ancient Germanic people who invaded Roman territory, controlled areas in what are now southern Europe and northern Africa, and sacked the city of Rome in 455 AD.
The Vandals were a Germanic tribe that crossed into Roman territory in the early 5th century.
passive definition: the Vandals were + noun phrase
Historians describe how the Vandals built a powerful kingdom in North Africa before attacking Rome.
Gita learned about the Vandals in her history class when studying the fall of the Roman Empire.
An ancient writer left a detailed account of how the Vandals captured and looted the city of Rome.
用法筆記
Always capitalised as Vandal or Vandals when referring to the historical group. Distinguish from sense 1 (PROPERTY DAMAGE), which is the ordinary lowercase noun.
常見錯誤
vandal — adjective
1. Connected to the ancient Germanic group known as the Vandals, or to their cultur
Connected to the ancient Germanic group known as the Vandals, or to their culture, society, and history.
The museum's new exhibit shows Vandal jewelry and tools found in North Africa.
possessive structure: Vandal + noun (artifacts)
Scholars still debate the influence of Vandal culture on early medieval Spain.
Élise read a book about the Vandal kingdom and its wars with the Byzantine Empire.
Few written records of the Vandal language have survived to the present day.
用法筆記
Always capitalised as Vandal because it derives from the proper noun. Used almost exclusively in historical or archaeological writing.