smear

verb

smeared; smearing; smears

transitive verb

1

a

: to overspread with something unctuous, viscous, or adhesive : daub

smeared the paper with glue

b

: to spread over a surface

2

a

: to stain, smudge, or dirty by or as if by smearing

b

: sully, besmirch

specifically : to vilify especially by secretly and maliciously spreading grave charges and imputations

3

: to obliterate, obscure, blur, blend, wipe out, or defeat by or as if by smearing

smearer noun

Synonyms of smear

• paint
• coat
• daub
• stain
• anoint
• plaster
• besmear

Examples of smear in a Sentence

The children smeared the window with fingerprints.

She smeared jam on her toast.

Butter was smeared all over the counter.

Her mascara smeared when she cried.

Recent Examples on the Web

Combine baking soda and warm water in a bowl to make a paste, then smear it over the caulk. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 3 June 2026

It’s been embarrassing watching both candidates smear each other as insufficiently MAGA. —The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 3 June 2026

Participants spill into streets, courtyards and public squares covered head to toe in pigment, and strangers smear color on one another as a greeting. —Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 2 June 2026

The dog couldn’t go in her room so soon after her transplant, so Aspen dabbed colors on a small canvas and handed it to Scott, who put it in a plastic bag and smeared peanut butter on top. —Laura Ungar, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing smear

• cervical smear
• Papanicolaou smear
• Pap smear
• smear test

Rhymes for smear

• beer
• bier
• cheer
• clear
• dear
• deer
• drear
• ear
• fear
• fier
• gear
• hear

Kids Definition

smear

1 of 2 noun

ˈsmi(ə)r 

1

: a spot made by or as if by an oily or sticky substance : smudge

2

: material smeared on a surface

especially : material prepared for microscopic examination by smearing on a slide compare pap smear

3

: a usually unproven charge or accusation

smear

2 of 2 verb

1

a

: to spread with something oily or sticky

b

: to spread over a surface

2

a

: to stain, smudge, or dirty by or as if by smearing

b

: to harm the reputation of

3

: to blot out or blur by or as if by smearing

smearer noun

Medical Definition

smear

1 of 2 noun

ˈsmi(ə)r 

: material spread on a surface (as of a microscopic slide)

also : a preparation made by spreading material on a surface see pap smear, vaginal smear

smear

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to prepare as a smear for microscopic examination : make a smear of