Synonyms

besmirch

American

[bih-smurch] / bɪˈsmɜrtʃ /

verb (used with object)

to soil; tarnish; discolor.
to detract from the honor or luster of.

to besmirch someone's good name.

Synonyms:

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

besmirch British

/ bɪˈsmɜːtʃ /

verb

to make dirty; soil
to reduce the brightness or lustre of
to sully (often in the phrase besmirch ( a person's ) name )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Steele doesn’t besmirch the data that punishes his Redhawks, but he also says “there’s something to winning.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026

As it turns out, Murray’s story doesn’t besmirch Candy’s memory at all.

From Salon • Oct. 12, 2025

There was also criticism from the Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang'ula, who said the aim of the documentary was to "besmirch" Kenya.

From BBC • Aug. 14, 2025

It’s still theirs and not yours to besmirch.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 7, 2023

But it was another example of both the lack of knowledge about South Africa in the rest of Africa and the extraordinary lengths the PAC would go to besmirch the ANC.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023