blemish
Americanverb (used with object)
-
blemishes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
blemished,
past participle, past
-
blemishing
present participle
noun
verb
Synonym Usage
See defect.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
blemishsimple
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blemishessimple
-
have blemishedperfect
-
has blemishedperfect
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am blemishingprogressive
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are blemishingprogressive
-
is blemishingprogressive
-
have been blemishingperfect progressive
-
has been blemishingperfect progressive
Past
-
blemishedsimple
-
had blemishedperfect
-
was blemishingprogressive
-
were blemishingprogressive
-
had been blemishingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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 blaze 2
Explanation
A blemish is a small flaw. If you borrow your brother's brand new bicycle, you'd better be careful — what might seem like the tiniest blemish to you might be a horribly ruined paint job to him. The classic example of a blemish is a pimple or other mark on your skin, but you can call any small defect a blemish — like a worm hole in an apple or a scrape on the side of your car. A flaw or fault in your personality or morals can also be called a blemish. You might say that the one time your dog accidentally nipped you is the only blemish on his reputation as a sweet, gentle pet.
Vocabulary lists containing blemish
"The Landlady" by Roald Dahl
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List 6
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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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.
See Examples For:
But even if QXO and other laggards in the fund don’t rebound soon, it’s just a tiny blemish on what’s been a solid run of success for Malbon and her colleagues at Patient Capital.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
While Topgolf left a blemish on the record of Callaway, the company is still a dominant player, with the No. 2 U.S. market share in both clubs and balls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
Yet the single blemish on his resume is eternally painful to Dodgers fans.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
And in a culture so hellbent on idol worship and exhausting discourse, where every blemish is smoothed out or screamed at, “SNL” still offers us something scrappy and unvarnished.
From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2026
No blemish or sickness or deformity could be seen in anything that grew upon the earth.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
France's only blemishes were moments of overplaying, which was hardly surprising for a team that was flying and enjoying themselves.
From Barron's ● Feb. 5, 2026
Sure, there were blemishes to their 20-17 overtime victory at Chicago on Sunday night, just as their three-point win at Carolina had its wild-card warts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 2026
In large amounts, fluoride causes unsightly blemishes on teeth, and it may even have some negative health consequences.
From Slate ● Jan. 16, 2025
On Saturday though, the blemishes were obvious and plentiful - and this autumn they seem to be setting in, rather than shifting.
From BBC ● Nov. 16, 2024
There were little boys, fair, dark, freckled, and all dirty, but their faces were all dreadfully free of major blemishes.
From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
The city of about 35,000 has always considered itself an island of Old California, even as clogged roads and McMansions blemished the once-pristine hills.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
That record is blemished by his removal from an assignment based on his Francis-like tendencies, which may have had a hand in his failure to rise above the lowest of the U.S.
From Slate ● Apr. 13, 2026
The two hour and 15 minute show, blemished only by some occasionally muddy sound, touched on mortality a number of times.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 18, 2024
But it was not to be: His record was too blemished.
From Salon ● Jan. 7, 2023
Instead I find myself staring into a pair of oceans—one perfect, the other blemished by that tiny ripple.
From "Legend" by Marie Lu
The ruckus is blemishing what had been a successful period for Ukraine’s military, which has stopped some Russian advances and even regained a bit of territory over recent months.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Senate when she died, and questions about her mental capacity shadowed her final years in office, blemishing her reputation and forcing her to repeatedly fend off calls to resign.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2023
Meanwhile, Winston passed for and NFL-leading 5,109 yards and 33 passing touchdowns with Tampa Bay in 2019 — albeit with 30 interceptions blemishing those otherwise exceptional numbers.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 29, 2021
Washington got one Tuesday night when it toppled the Golden State Warriors, 112-108, blemishing the record of the best team in basketball.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 28, 2017
Twice!” and she laughed aloud before her mirror, revealing the pink arch of her mouth, and two perfect sets of yellow-white teeth, with only one blemishing spot of gold visible.
From An Ambitious Man by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
