Dictionary

besmirch en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• (Australia) audio
• /bɪˈsmɝːt͡ʃ/ (General-American)
• /bɪˈsmɜːtʃ/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English besmorchen (attested in besmorchid). Compare Middle English bismotered (“bespattered, soiled”). By surface analysis, be- + smirch.

Meanings

1. (literary, transitive) To make dirty.
2. (transitive) To tarnish something, especially someone's reputation.
   • Our gayness and our gilt are all besmirch'd With rainy marching in the painful field 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
   • "It may be," he replied, "because I will not encounter the dishonor that besmirches the husband of a faithless woman.[…]" 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, a Romance, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, →OCLC:
   • Sir Guy might still have slain him without besmirching his knightly honor 1928, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle:
   • The newspaper was on a campaign to besmirch the actor.

Forms

Antonyms

unbesmirch

Deriveds

unbesmirchable · unbesmirch · besmirchment · besmircher · unbesmirched

Synonyms

slander · sully · besmear · belibel · blame · inquinate · spatter · foul · smirch · cloud · befoul · darken · dirten · befoul · speak ill of · disparage · tarnish · defile · blot · assoil · smudge · reproach · spot · disrepute · shit-talk · calumny · forspeak · infamize · blaze · blot · uggle · bedizen · stain · sully · depreciate · villainize · calumniate · stain · smear · sowl · clat · slotter · befile · sully · muddy · beshit · denigrate · smirch · wrong · diss · besully · blacken · elt · forgab · deprave · gunk up · defame · befilth · libel · chat shite · lampoon · scunge · blacken · bewray · drag through the mud · spot · trash-talk · talk shite · monsterize · slander · bewray · assassinate · chat shit · imbrue (especially with blood) · discredit · sullow · stab · slur · besmirch · file · tarnish · talk shit · bedaub · unflatter · soil · dirty · talk trash · smutch · scandal · slag · soil · detract · vilify · blur · bedirty · badmouth · disgrace · soss · revile · backbite · foul · debase · contaminate · smear · beray · traduce · blur · gunk · foil · demonize · smear · beclart · besmirch · torch · sling mud · blacken · besmear · blemish · libel · begrime · smut · tarnish · asperse · malign · dirty · vilipend

Translations (69)

gl ensuciar (make dirty) · ru загрязня́ть (make dirty) · el σπιλώνω (tarnish; debase) · ru пятна́ть (tarnish; debase) · uk плямува́ти (tarnish; debase) · de beschmieren (make dirty) · nb tilskitne (tarnish; debase) · sk pošpiniť (make dirty) · uk зневажа́ти (tarnish; debase) · bg петня (tarnish; debase) · ru запятна́ть (tarnish; debase) · fi liata (make dirty) · it insozzare (make dirty) · pt sujar (make dirty) · pt conspurcar (tarnish; debase) · bg черня (tarnish; debase) · sk špiniť (tarnish; debase) · ro spurca (make dirty) · ru па́чкать (make dirty) · de besudeln (tarnish; debase) · sk špiniť (make dirty) · fi liata (tarnish; debase) · th ป้ายสี (tarnish; debase) · it smerdare (make dirty) · sk očierniť (tarnish; debase) · ru черни́ть (tarnish; debase) · ru испа́чкать (make dirty) · cmn 浼污 (tarnish; debase) · it insudiciare (make dirty) · it macchiare (tarnish; debase) · fr salir (tarnish; debase) · sk znevážiť (tarnish; debase) · uk чорни́ти (tarnish; debase) · hu bemocskol (make dirty) · sv befläcka (tarnish; debase) · hu gyaláz (tarnish; debase) · fr salir (make dirty) · de beschmutzen (tarnish; debase) · de in Verruf bringen (tarnish; debase) · it insudiciare (tarnish; debase) · cmn 弄髒 /弄脏 (make dirty) · gl difamar (tarnish; debase) · it lordare (tarnish; debase) · pt macular (tarnish; debase) · ro spurca (tarnish; debase) · nb besudle (tarnish; debase) · fr avilir (tarnish; debase) · sk pošpiniť (tarnish; debase) · ca embrutar (make dirty) · cmn 污漫 (tarnish; debase) · grc προσπηλακίζω (tarnish; debase) · uk бруднити (make dirty) · ota چامورلامق (tarnish; debase) · uk ганьби́ти (tarnish; debase) · it sporcare (make dirty) · nb tilskitne (make dirty) · uk замазувати (make dirty) · sk znevažovať (tarnish; debase) · de beschmutzen (make dirty) · it denigrare (tarnish; debase) · sk očierňovať (tarnish; debase) · nl bezoedelen (tarnish; debase) · it lordare (make dirty) · el λερώνω (make dirty) · nl bekladden (tarnish; debase) · bg мърся (make dirty) · pt deslustrar (tarnish; debase) · bg омърсявам (make dirty) · nl besmeuren (make dirty)