smear

American  

[smeer] / smɪər /

verb (used with object)

1. to spread or daub (an oily, greasy, viscous, or wet substance) on or over something.

   to smear butter on bread.

2. to spread or daub an oily, greasy, viscous, or wet substance on.

   to smear bread with butter.

3. to stain, spot, or make dirty with something oily, greasy, viscous, or wet.

4. to sully, vilify, or soil (a reputation, good name, etc.).

5. to smudge or blur, as by rubbing.

   The signature was smeared.

6. Slang. to defeat decisively; overwhelm.

   They smeared the home team.

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noun

1. an oily, greasy, viscous, or wet substance, especially a dab of such a substance.

2. a stain, spot, or mark made by such a substance.

3. a smudge.

4. something smeared or to be smeared on a thing, as a glaze for pottery.

5. a small quantity of something spread thinly on a slide for microscopic examination.

6. vilification.

   a smear by a cheap gossip columnist.

smear British  

/ smɪə /

verb

1. to bedaub or cover with oil, grease, etc

2. to rub over or apply thickly

3. to rub so as to produce a smudge

4. to slander

5. slang to defeat completely

6. (intr) to be or become smeared or dirtied

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noun

1. a dirty mark or smudge

2. 1. a slanderous attack

   2. ( as modifier )

      smear tactics

3. a preparation of blood, secretions, etc, smeared onto a glass slide for examination under a microscope

Other Word Forms

• smearer noun
• unsmeared adjective

Etymology

Origin of smear

before 900; (v.) Middle English smeren, smirien to rub with fat, anoint, Old English smirian, smerian, smerwan; cognate with Dutch smeren, German schmieren, Old Norse smyrja, smyrwa; (noun) in current senses derivative of the v.; compare obsolete smear fat, grease, ointment, Middle English smere, Old English smeoru, cognate with Dutch smear, German Schmer, Old Norse smjǫr grease, Greek smýris rubbing powder; emery

Example Sentences

Ingerson posted on social media that there had been a "two-year long campaign of bullying, lies, rumours and smears designed to stop my candidacy".

From BBC

I yank a napkin from the holder beside us and wipe up the smears of purple.

From Literature

The feathers surrounding her eyes were smeared with berry pulp and groomed into sharp points.

From Literature

Simons previously said he "never sought to smear" the journalists investigated, and has now told the BBC's Newscast that "there's a lot I've learned from it".

From BBC

“It almost looks like Cheeto dust,” she said, “like somebody had Cheetos on their fingers and just smeared it on the landscape.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• besmirch
• blur
• coat
• dab
• daub
• plaster
• smudge
• spatter
• spray
• sprinkle
• stain
• sully
• taint
• tar
• tarnish