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
-
blemishessimple
-
have blemishedperfect
-
has blemishedperfect
-
am blemishingprogressive
-
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:
The only blemish on his magnificent career is the failure – not his alone it must be stressed – to add to the one men's World Cup won in 1966.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
One blemish on the chart was the failed breakout above the $133.47 cup-with-handle pivot on May 19.
From Barron's ● Jun. 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
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was a blemish, closing the day 1.8% lower.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 24, 2026
That strange little blemish in one of his eyes, a ripple in an otherwise ocean-blue iris.
From "Legend" by Marie Lu
“We would cover any obvious blemishes but otherwise literally pinched their cheeks.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
Visible pores, blackheads, blemishes, pigmentation, redness and scarring are all very normal for teenage skin, says Dr Kentley.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
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
Coating cools while dripping from an arm, smiles askew send mixed signals, smeared eyes like they’d been up late partying with the tarts, blemishes, cracked sugary skin.
From Salon ● Feb. 5, 2026
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
Karen fights inflation by traveling during off-peak weekdays, making her own yogurt, and foraging for free, blemished produce.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
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
We’ve developed creative ways to mitigate waste, finding secondary uses for produce that’s past its prime—whether bent, broken, bruised, blemished, or overly ripe.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2024
Her purity of spirit would never be in doubt, though she moved through a blemished world.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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
In any event, there’s no longer a need for the Kraken to be fearful of losses blemishing their pretty record.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 21, 2022
Brooks faced the minimum eight batters in 2⅔ innings, with only a hit batter blemishing his line.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 13, 2019
Religion is to him, both as regards forms and dogmas, a whole, all whose parts hang together; and no human hand can touch this masterpiece of Providence without blemishing it.
From Lippincott's Magazine of Popular Literature and Science Volume 15, No. 88, April, 1875 by Various
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