smear

American  

[smeer] / smɪər /

verb (used with object)

1. to spread or daub (an oily, greasy, viscous, or wet substance) on or over something.

   to smear butter on bread.

2. to spread or daub an oily, greasy, viscous, or wet substance on.

   to smear bread with butter.

3. to stain, spot, or make dirty with something oily, greasy, viscous, or wet.

4. to sully, vilify, or soil (a reputation, good name, etc.).

5. to smudge or blur, as by rubbing.

   The signature was smeared.

6. Slang. to defeat decisively; overwhelm.

   They smeared the home team.

---

noun

1. an oily, greasy, viscous, or wet substance, especially a dab of such a substance.

2. a stain, spot, or mark made by such a substance.

3. a smudge.

4. something smeared or to be smeared on a thing, as a glaze for pottery.

5. a small quantity of something spread thinly on a slide for microscopic examination.

6. vilification.

   a smear by a cheap gossip columnist.

smear British  

/ smɪə /

verb

1. to bedaub or cover with oil, grease, etc

2. to rub over or apply thickly

3. to rub so as to produce a smudge

4. to slander

5. slang to defeat completely

6. (intr) to be or become smeared or dirtied

---

noun

1. a dirty mark or smudge

2. 1. a slanderous attack

   2. ( as modifier )

      smear tactics

3. a preparation of blood, secretions, etc, smeared onto a glass slide for examination under a microscope

Other Word Forms

• smearer
  noun
• unsmeared
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of smear

before 900; (v.) Middle English smeren, smirien to rub with fat, anoint, Old English smirian, smerian, smerwan; cognate with Dutch smeren, German schmieren, Old Norse smyrja, smyrwa; (noun) in current senses derivative of the v.; compare obsolete smear fat, grease, ointment, Middle English smere, Old English smeoru, cognate with Dutch smear, German Schmer, Old Norse smjǫr grease, Greek smýris rubbing powder; see emery

Explanation

To smear something is to smudge or blur it. You might literally smear your pen-and-ink drawing, or figuratively have your reputation smeared by getting caught in a lie. You can also smear things physically by smoothing them onto another surface, like when you smear lip balm on your mouth or smear cream cheese on your bagel. When you smear a person, however, you cause them real harm by hurting their reputation badly. A politician might smear an opponent by falsely claiming they lied about where they went to college, for example. That kind of smear can be hard to erase.

Example Sentences

The paper published an article on 21 December entitled: "'We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine."

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2025

“I have a picture of me, Jane, Pat Smear and Belinda standing there,” Caffey says, “And we were looking at each other like, ‘You realize this was never a thought in our minds back then.’”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2025

Before Carlilse joined the Go-Go’s, she had a brief stint as the singer of the Germs with Smear on guitar.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2025

The article titled, "'We Can Bury Anyone': Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine" exposes the alleged system at work attempting to discredit Lively's reputation and experiences with Baldoni and Heath.

From Salon • Dec. 23, 2024

Smear some of the nastiness on him too?

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

Related Words

• besmirch
• blur
• coat
• dab
• daub
• plaster
• smudge
• spatter
• spray
• sprinkle
• stain
• sully
• taint
• tar
• tarnish