besmirch

verb

be·smirch | \ bi-ˈsmərch

, bē-\

besmirched; besmirching; besmirches

Definition of besmirch

transitive verb

: sully, soil besmirching her reputation High ideals were besmirched by cruelty and greed …— R. A. Newhall

Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about besmirch

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Synonyms & Antonyms for besmirch

Synonyms

befoul, begrime, bemire, blacken, daub, dirty, distain [archaic], foul, gaum [dialect], grime, mire, muck, muddy, smirch, smudge, soil, stain, sully

Antonyms

clean, cleanse

Did You Know?

Since the prefix be- in besmirch means "to make or cause to be," when you besmirch something, you cause it to have a smirch. What's a smirch? A smirch is a stain, and "to smirch" is to stain or make dirty. By extension, "to smirch" came to mean "to bring discredit or disgrace on." "Smirch" and "besmirch," then, mean essentially the same thing. We have William Shakespeare to thank for the variation in form. Shakespeare's 1599 use of the term in Henry V is the first known appearance of "besmirch" in English.

Examples of besmirch in a Sentence

inconsiderately besmirched the white bedsheets with their dirty feet

Recent Examples on the Web

D’Artagnan helps Athos, Porthos and Aramis foil Cardinal Richelieu’s plot to besmirch the queen. — Los Angeles Times, "Movies on TV this week Sept. 1 - 7, 2019: John Wayne in ‘The Searchers’ and more," 30 Aug. 2019 Heather Coleman, a tree biotechnologist at Syracuse University in New York, says the ban unfairly besmirches the reputation of trees modified by genetic engineering or gene editing. — Erik Stokstad, Science | AAAS, "Scientists say sustainable forestry organizations should lift ban on biotech trees," 23 Aug. 2019 While their results have improved in their third season, the Loons still feel besmirched. — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, "Loons run in U.S. Open Cup continues with 6-1 win over New Mexico," 10 July 2019 Ashley insists upon besmirching my mother, her reputation, with some conspiracy theories. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE.com, "Ashley Jacobs Returns to Southern Charm, Calls Dating Thomas Ravenel 'the Worst Year of My Life'," 10 July 2019 But the four-ish minutes of TV was mesmerizing, a strange piercing of the Bravo forcefield that usually manages to keep the goings-on of the real world separate from besmirching the antics of its cast. — Bridget Read, Vogue, "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," 17 Apr. 2019 All signs point to a future besmirched by the likes of Pablo Escobar, compared to whom the current combatants are harmless villagers. — WSJ, "‘Birds of Passage’ Review: Splendor and the Grass," 14 Feb. 2019 At 9:03 Eastern, the left is going to be in the process of trying to smear, besmirch, slander, destroy the character of whoever the president picks. — Fox News, "Senate fight awaits Trump's Supreme Court pick," 10 July 2018 The Arc de Triomphe, which cradles the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and was visited by world leaders last month to mark the centenary of the end of World War I, was besmirched with graffiti and vandalized inside. — Elaine Ganley, The Seattle Times, "Violent protests in France reveal a hard-to-heal fracture," 4 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'besmirch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for besmirch

besmirch

verb

English Language Learners Definition of besmirch

: to cause harm or damage to (the reputation of someone or something)

See the full definition for besmirch in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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besmirch

Definition of besmirch

Synonyms & Antonyms for besmirch

Did You Know?

Examples of besmirch in a Sentence

First Known Use of besmirch

English Language Learners Definition of besmirch

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