besmirch

verb

be·​smirch bi-ˈsmərch 

bē-

besmirched; besmirching; besmirches

transitive verb

: to cause harm or damage to the purity, luster, or beauty of (something) : sully, soil

besmirching her reputation

High ideals were besmirched by cruelty and greed …

—R. A. Newhall

Although the accusations against Normand were unsupported, her name was besmirched.

—John Lahr

Darwin was exasperated by Wallace's gullibility and feared that his activities would somehow besmirch the theory of evolution.

—Anthony Gottlieb

The problem is that the vast majority of people of all nations … cherish their national myths too much to want mere facts, or even assertions of historical doubt, to besmirch them.

—Max Hastings

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 something is to stain it or make it dirty. By extension, the verb smirch came to mean "to bring discredit or disgrace on." Smirch and besmirch, then, mean essentially the same thing.

Synonyms

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

Examples of besmirch in a Sentence

inconsiderately besmirched the carpet with their dirty feet

Recent Examples on the Web

With their reputations besmirched, their families despaired of finding them a suitor. —Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 July 2024

This is not to besmirch the usual litany of guests from the Bravo universe, the majority of whom regularly make the pilgrimage to Soho in New York to gossip and dish on their co-stars. —Peter White, Deadline, 21 June 2024

Russian media often praises Carlson for spreading information that benefits the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin while besmirching Russian adversaries, including the U.S. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 21 May 2024

In the course of the same afternoon, Larry and Lewis wind up debating the relative attractiveness of penises, shadowboxing with a demanding blind man, and besmirching a restaurant captain who felt entitled to his own gratuity. —Larry Fitzmaurice, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

besmirch

verb

be·​smirch bi-ˈsmərch 

: to make soiled or less pure