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blemish

[ blem-ish ]
/ ˈblɛm ɪʃ /
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See synonyms for: blemish / blemished on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object)
to destroy or diminish the perfection of: The book is blemished by those long, ineffective descriptions.
noun
a mark that detracts from appearance, as a pimple or a scar.
a defect or flaw; stain; blight: a blemish on his record.
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Origin of blemish

1275–1325; Middle English (v.) <Anglo-French, Middle French blemiss-, long stem of ble(s)mir to make livid, perhaps <Old Low Franconian *blesmjan;see blaze2

synonym study for blemish

3. See defect.

OTHER WORDS FROM blemish

blem·ish·er, nounun·blem·ished, adjectiveun·blem·ish·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to blemish

blot, blotch, bruise, discoloration, freckle, imperfection, pimple, scar, smudge, snag, stain, stigma, wart, sully, birthmark, blackhead, blister, bloom, blur, brand

How to use blemish in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for blemish

blemish
/ (ˈblɛmɪʃ) /
noun
a defect; flaw; stain
verb
(tr) to flaw the perfection of; spoil; tarnish

Word Origin for blemish

C14: from Old French blemir to make pale, probably of Germanic origin
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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