smeary

[ smeer-ee ]

adjective

, smear·i·er, smear·i·est.

1. showing smears; smeared.
2. tending to smear or soil.

ˈsmeary

/ ˈsmɪərɪ /

adjective

1. smeared, dirty; blurred by smearing

Derived Forms

• ˈsmeariness, noun
• ˈsmearily, adverb

Other Words From

• smeari·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of smeary¹

First recorded in 1520–30; smear + -y ¹

Example Sentences

A lightly tapered tip gives it just enough rise for buttery turn initiations and an overall smeary playfulness.

From Outside Online

Ms Galvez caught me staring at it and handed me a permission slip on smeary Xeroxed school letterhead.

From Project Gutenberg

What did they care for dust on the books and smeary window panes?

From Project Gutenberg

In front of it a sagging woman with tight-drawn hair, and a baby bedraggled, smeary, glorious-eyed.

From Project Gutenberg

He had a passion for stealing sugarall the door knobs were smeary and sticky where his sugary hands had reached to open the doors.

From Project Gutenberg

Poppy was painting, standing before a huge canvas and looking very smeary; she gave me a cheek to kiss, and she was thin!

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• buttery
• creamy
• oiled
• slippery
• waxy