blemish

verb blem·ish \ ˈble-mish \

Definition of blemish

transitive verb

:to spoil by a flaw

See blemish defined for English-language learners

Examples of blemish in a Sentence

A series of burn marks blemish the table's surface.
The incident blemished his reputation.

Recent Examples of blemish from the Web

Christie said New Jersey taxpayers could not afford to support a program that blemished the state's reputation.

— USA TODAY, "Head to E! for 'Jersey Shore' reunion August 20," 11 Aug. 2017
Loot Crate countersued, alleging shirts were blemished.

— paresh dave, Philly.com, "Loot Crate became the nation's fastest-growing startup, then it laid off over a quarter of its staff," 5 July 2017
Loot Crate countersued, alleging shirts were blemished.

— paresh dave, Philly.com, "Loot Crate became the nation's fastest-growing startup, then it laid off over a quarter of its staff," 5 July 2017
Loot Crate countersued, alleging shirts were blemished.

— paresh dave, Philly.com, "Loot Crate became the nation's fastest-growing startup, then it laid off over a quarter of its staff," 5 July 2017
Loot Crate countersued, alleging shirts were blemished.

— paresh dave, Philly.com, "Loot Crate became the nation's fastest-growing startup, then it laid off over a quarter of its staff," 5 July 2017
Loot Crate countersued, alleging shirts were blemished.

— paresh dave, latimes.com, "Loot Crate became the nation's fastest-growing start-up, then it laid off over a quarter of its staff," 30 June 2017
Many pieces are heavily discounted sample work, slightly blemished or discontinued.

— The Courier-Journal, "50+ fun things for week of June 29-July 5," 28 June 2017
While the hobby is blemished occasionally from those whose sole mission is to sell, made worse with stories of men who will even nudge kids out of the way, Shea said the group that gathers at East 9th is a polite bunch.

— marc bona, cleveland.com, "Inside Progressive Field's autograph-collecting world (photos)," 15 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of blemish

Middle English blemisshen, to damage, injure, sully, from Anglo-French blemiss-, stem of blemir, blesmir, from Old French, literally, to make pale by wounding, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German blasros horse with a blaze, Old Norse blesi blaze — more at blaze

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

blemish Synonyms

Synonyms

taint, darken, mar, poison, spoil, stain, tarnish, touch, vitiate

Antonyms

doctor, fix, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair, revamp

Related Words

begrime, besmear, besmirch, blacken, blur, cloud, dirty, discolor, pollute, smear, smirch, smudge, smut, soil, sully, tar; abase, cheapen, debase, degrade, demean, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, foul, lower, shame, sink; bastardize, corrupt, debauch, demoralize, deprave, pervert, subvert; color, distort, twist

Near Antonyms

cleanse, purify; dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, glorify, hallow, magnify, uplift

blemish

noun

Definition of blemish

:a noticeable imperfection; especially :one that seriously impairs appearance

See blemish defined for English-language learners

See blemish defined for kids

Examples of blemish in a Sentence

The cream is supposed to prevent blemishes on the skin.
The table had a few scratches and minor blemishes.
The book fails to mention any of the organization's many blemishes.
The incident was a blemish on his record.

Recent Examples of blemish from the Web

The skin care market is flooded with acne treatments promising to counteract clogged pores, remove oil buildup, and clear blemishes, so knowing which ingredients to look for can be tricky.

— marissa desantis, Teen Vogue, "How to Tell if Your Acne Needs a Salicylic Acne or Benzoyl Peroxide Treatment," 27 Aug. 2017
According to the state Department of Business & Professional Regulation, Nichols’ license bares only one blemish, a citation from 2016.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "They were expected to help the animals. Cops say they abused 30 horses and 8 dogs," 27 Aug. 2017
At the food bank — a collection of coolers, cupboards and open shelves in the carport of a private home — no one notices blemishes or expiration dates.

— maria l. la ganga, idahostatesman, "Couple earns $51,600. His long-term care takes $48,000. She digs in dumpsters for food.," 26 Aug. 2017
What better way to distract attention from a blemish than to cover your body in sparkles?

— erika harwood, vanityfair.com, "Kim Kardashian Channels 2004 Britney Spears for . . . Some Reason," 15 Aug. 2017
Pimple-popping videos have gone viral because, believe it or not, a lot of people out there enjoy watching brave dermatologists and everyday folks take on alien-sized blemishes.

— samantha brodsky, Good Housekeeping, "These Are the Grossest Sunburn-Peeling Videos We Could Find," 7 Aug. 2017
Selection: Choose snap beans that appear fresh, firm and crisp with bright color and no blemishes.

— debbie arrington, sacbee, "This summer favorite is big on nutrition, low on calories," 18 July 2017
For 15 million consumers, medical debt was the only blemish on their credit report, the study found.

— michelle andrews, Kaiser Health News, "Your Credit Score Soon Will Get A Buffer From Medical-Debt Wrecks," 11 July 2017
Dunham’s middle finger was the only blemish on an otherwise completely squeaky-clean time.

— kenzie bryant, Vanities, "How Taylor Swift’s Fourth of July Party Became the Ultimate Symbol of Good, Clean, Famous Fun," 30 June 2017

First Known Use of blemish

1535

blemish Synonyms

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

BLEMISH Defined for English Language Learners

blemish

verb

Definition of blemish for English Language Learners

: to make (something) imperfect or less beautiful : to hurt or damage the good condition of (something)

blemish

noun

Definition of blemish for English Language Learners

: a mark that makes something imperfect or less beautiful : an unwanted mark on the surface of something
: a fact or event that causes people to respect someone or something less