besmirch

[ bih-smurch ]

/ bɪˈsmɜrtʃ /

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See synonyms for: besmirch / besmirched on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to soil; tarnish; discolor.

to detract from the honor or luster of: to besmirch someone's good name.

OTHER WORDS FOR besmirch

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

See synonyms for besmirch on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

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Origin of besmirch

First recorded in 1590–1600; be- + smirch

OTHER WORDS FROM besmirch

be·smirch·er, nounun·be·smirched, adjective

Words nearby besmirch

Beskids, Beslan, slated for, be, beslobber, besmear, besmirch, Besnier-Boeck-Schaumann disease, sold on, be, besom, besom pocket, besot

How to use besmirch in a sentence

While Couric included some of Ginsburg’s criticism in the finished product, she decided to leave out that particular barb, concerned that it would besmirch the reputation of someone she was a “fan” of.
Here are the juiciest parts of Katie Couric’s new tell-all book||October 18, 2021|Washington Post
Before Sullivan, states maintained strict libel laws in an attempt to protect individuals’ reputations in their community from being besmirched unfairly.
A major Supreme Court First Amendment decision could be at risk|Samantha Barbas|July 13, 2021|Washington Post
And I would never besmirch her reputation by suggesting that she had.
The Dangers of Trusting Wikipedia With Your Life|Michael Moynihan|April 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST
I hate to besmirch the reputation of an innocent dog, but a lot of time her personality is like a rabid pit bull.
Billy Sammeth, the Manager Fired by Cher and Joan Rivers, Tells His Side of the Story|Kevin Sessums|February 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST

If anyone is working round the clock to besmirch the reputation of Pit Bulls it is Pit Bulls themselves.
Get Rid of Pit Bulls|Charles Leerhsen|March 12, 2010|DAILY BEAST
His Pucelle is a diabolical attempt to besmirch the pure character of Joan of Arc.
The War Upon Religion|Rev. Francis A. Cunningham
I will idealise you until you besmirch yourself—but you are no child, to do that unknowingly.
The Barrier|Allen French
She had remained silent that she might not besmirch her father's name, and also, perhaps, that she might protect the other woman.
The Holladay Case|Burton E. Stevenson
Soil it—yes; besmirch it, render it superficially unclean, unfit, nauseous—yes.
The Younger Set|Robert W. Chambers
He had come to Italy to redeem the name of the house of Gobignon, not besmirch it further.
The Saracen: The Holy War|Robert Shea

British Dictionary definitions for besmirch

besmirch

/ (bɪˈsmɜːtʃ) /

verb (tr)

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

besmirch

OTHER WORDS FOR besmirch

Origin of besmirch

OTHER WORDS FROM besmirch

Words nearby besmirch

Words related to besmirch

How to use besmirch in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for besmirch