besmirch
verb
be·smirch
bi-ˈsmərch 
bē-
besmirched; besmirching; besmirches
: 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
R. A. NewhallAlthough the accusations against Normand were unsupported, her name was besmirched.—John Lahr
John LahrDarwin was exasperated by Wallace's gullibility and feared that his activities would somehow besmirch the theory of evolution.—Anthony Gottlieb
Anthony GottliebThe 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
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.
Examples of besmirch in a Sentence
inconsiderately besmirched the carpet with their dirty feet
Recent Examples on the Web
Famously, the British press conspired to draw the dramatist’s name through the mud, besmirching his literary legacy for generations to follow.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Conservative leaders and administrations have besmirched the rule of law in the Republic's gravest scandals; Teapot Dome under Harding, Watergate under Nixon, Iran–Contra under Reagan, and multiple scandals in the Trump era.
—Allan J. Lichtman, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Trump has focused on tourist-friendly areas being besmirched by crime.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 11 Aug. 2025
The rules around grand jury secrecy shouldn’t be broken and care must be taken about revealing the identities of victims and besmirching the reputations of people mentioned incidentally in the vast investigative materials.
—The Editors, National Review, 16 July 2025
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Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Conservative leaders and administrations have besmirched the rule of law in the Republic's gravest scandals; Teapot Dome under Harding, Watergate under Nixon, Iran–Contra under Reagan, and multiple scandals in the Trump era.
—Allan J. Lichtman, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Trump has focused on tourist-friendly areas being besmirched by crime.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 11 Aug. 2025
The rules around grand jury secrecy shouldn’t be broken and care must be taken about revealing the identities of victims and besmirching the reputations of people mentioned incidentally in the vast investigative materials.
—The Editors, National Review, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for besmirch
Cite this Entry
“Besmirch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/besmirch. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
besmirch
verb
be·smirch
bi-ˈsmərch
: to make soiled or less pure
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