besmirch

American  

[bih-smurch] / bɪˈsmɜrtʃ /

verb (used with object)

1. to soil; tarnish; discolor.

2. to detract from the honor or luster of.

   to besmirch someone's good name.

   Synonyms:

   besmear, sully, discredit, dishonor, blacken, soil, tarnish, stain

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besmirch British  

/ bɪˈsmɜːtʃ /

verb

1. to make dirty; soil

2. to reduce the brightness or lustre of

3. to sully (often in the phrase besmirch ( a person's ) name )

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Other Word Forms

• besmircher
  noun
• unbesmirched
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of besmirch

First recorded in 1590–1600; be- + smirch

Explanation

To besmirch means to dirty or tarnish, particularly someone's reputation — like when you call Billy a cheater at kickball (even though you know he's just better at bunting than you). Besmirch may sound kind of funny, but it goes hand in hand with other hurtful words like defame and slander. It can also mean to literally stain something. So that time you tracked mud all over the new white carpet and then blamed it on your little brother? That was a double besmirching — dirtying the rug and then falsely accusing a sibling.

Example Sentences

Besmirch, be-smirch′, v.t. to soil, as with smoke or soot: to sully.—v.t.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various

Related Words

• blacken
• defile
• dishonor
• slander
• smear
• smirch