blemish

verb

blem·​ish ˈble-mish 

blemished; blemishing; blemishes

transitive verb

: to spoil by a flaw

Synonyms of blemish

• mar
• taint
• stain
• spoil
• poison
• darken
• tarnish

Examples of blemish in a Sentence

A series of burn marks blemish the table's surface.

The incident blemished his reputation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Stripped of modern tools, MASK is messy, blemished, unfinished—and all the sweeter for it. —Arielle Gordon, Pitchfork, 22 May 2026

The Knights’ only blemish on their 2025-26 campaign: a loss to Komaki’s Sierra Canyon team. —Tarek Fattal, Daily News, 27 Mar. 2026

Shawnee’s local government, including the City Council, has been blemished by controversy for more than a decade. —Pj Green october 20, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2025

Reputational damage occurs when a business’s name is blemished in some manner. —Emily Reynolds, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for blemish

• flemish

Kids Definition

blemish

noun

blem·​ish

ˈblem-ish

: a mark that makes something imperfect

blemish verb

Medical Definition

blemish

noun

blem·​ish ˈblem-ish 

: a mark of physical deformity or injury: as

a

: any small mark on the skin (as a pimple or birthmark)

blemishes symptomatic of acne

b

: a defect of an animal (as a horse) that detracts from its appearance but does not interfere with its usefulness