Etymology
edit
From Middle English besmorchen (attested in besmorchid), equivalent to be- + smirch. Compare Middle English bismotered (“bespattered, soiled”).
Pronunciation
edit
besmirch (third-person singular simple present besmirches, present participle besmirching, simple past and past participle besmirched)
- (transitive, literary) To make dirty.
- Synonym: soil
- (transitive) To tarnish something, especially someone's reputation.
- Synonyms: debase, smear, slander, libel
- Antonym: unbesmirch
The newspaper was on a campaign to besmirch the actor.
Derived terms
edit
Translations
edit
make dirty
- Bulgarian: мърся (bg) (mǎrsja), омърсявам (bg) (omǎrsjavam)
- Catalan: embrutar (ca)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 弄髒/弄脏 (zh) (nòngzāng)
- Dutch: besmeuren (nl)
- Finnish: liata (fi)
- French: salir (fr)
- Galician: ensuciar
- German: beschmutzen (de), beschmieren (de)
- Greek: λερώνω (el) (leróno)
- Hungarian: bemocskol (hu)
- Italian: sporcare (it), insudiciare (it), lordare (it), insozzare (it), smerdare (it)
- Portuguese: sujar (pt)
- Romanian: spurca (ro)
- Russian: па́чкать (ru) impf (páčkatʹ), испа́чкать (ru) pf (ispáčkatʹ), загрязня́ть (ru) impf (zagrjaznjátʹ)
- Slovak: špiniť, pošpiniť
- Spanish: ensuciar (es)
- Ukrainian: бруднити (uk) (brudnyty), замазувати (zamazuvaty)
|
tarnish; debase
- Bulgarian: петня (bg) (petnja), черня (bg) (černja)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 浼污 (měiwū), 污漫 (wūmàn)
- Dutch: bekladden (nl), bezoedelen (nl)
- Finnish: liata (fi)
- French: salir (fr), avilir (fr)
- Galician: difamar (gl)
- German: beschmutzen (de), besudeln (de), in Verruf bringen
- Greek: σπιλώνω (el) (spilóno)
- Ancient Greek: προσπηλακίζω (prospēlakízō)
- Hungarian: gyaláz (hu)
- Italian: denigrare (it), macchiare (it), insudiciare (it), lordare (it)
- Portuguese: conspurcar (pt), macular (pt), deslustrar
- Romanian: spurca (ro)
- Russian: пятна́ть (ru) impf (pjatnátʹ), запятна́ть (ru) pf (zapjatnátʹ), черни́ть (ru) impf (černítʹ)
- Slovak: očierniť, očierňovať, pošpiniť, špiniť, znevážiť, znevažovať
- Spanish: manchar (es), mancillar (es), macular (es), enlodar (es), empañar (es)
- Swedish: befläcka (sv)
- Ukrainian: чорни́ти (čornýty), ганьби́ти (hanʹbýty), плямува́ти (pljamuváty), зневажа́ти (uk) (znevažáty)
|
Anagrams
edit