Synonyms and Antonyms of smirch
1
to make dirty
- their clothes were smirched by dust from the trail
befoul, begrime, bemire, besmirch, blacken, daub, dirty, distain [archaic], foul, gaum [dialect], grime, mire, muck, muddy, smudge, soil, stain, sully
contaminate, defile, pollute, taint
discolor
confuse, disarrange, disarray, dishevel, disorder, draggle, jumble, mess, muddle
colly [chiefly British dialect], crock [dialect]
decontaminate, purge, purify
disinfect, sanitize
brush, dry-clean, dust, launder, mop, rinse, scour, scrub, sweep, wash, wipe
brighten, deodorize, freshen, renew, spruce (up)
straighten (up), tidy (up)
2
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes
- this scandal will forever smirch the name of a once-great family
abase, chasten, cheapen, debase, degrade, demean, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, foul, humble, humiliate, lower, shame, sink, take down
abash, confound, confuse, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, mortify, nonplus, rattle
belittle, castigate, criticize, cry down, decry, depreciate, detract, diminish, discount, disparage, minimize, put down, ridicule, write off
bad-mouth, defame, defile, libel, malign, slander
affront, insult
censure, condemn, damn, denounce, execrate, reprehend, reprobate
acclaim, applaud, boast, celebrate, cheer, cite, commend, compliment, congratulate, decorate, eulogize, extol (also extoll), fete (or fête), hail, honor, laud, praise, salute, tout
acknowledge, recognize
highlight, play up, spotlight
dignify, ennoble, enshrine, ensky, enthrone, glorify, magnify
advance, boost, lift, promote, raise, upgrade, uplift
idealize, romanticize
