BEDAUBED Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words | Merriam-Webster Thesaurus

bedaubed 1 of 2

adjective

as in gaudy

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Dissimilar Words

bedaubed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of bedaub

as in smeared

to rub an oily or sticky substance over the toddler delightedly bedaubed herself with her mother's makeup

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bedaubed

Adjective

When receiver Cooper Barkate accompanied quarterback Darian Mensah from Duke to UM last winter, there was never any expectation that Barkate would match his gaudy statistics from a year ago.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
Yannick Nézet-Séguin nudges the orchestra’s warmth and saturation into territory that, if not quite gaudy, is certainly gala-worthy, privileging vibrancy over darkness.

— Justin Davidson, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of gaudy

Verb

The bombshell discovery in the little red dot spectra was that the colors of hydrogen were smeared out across multiple shades.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026
Aware of them now, the dog shakes loose the can—his forelock matted, his jowl smeared with beans—and shrinks into the trees with a whimper that makes something tighten in Molly’s own chest.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of smeared

Adjective

As money hijacks morality and democracy begins to look like a hoax, Tresnjak’s Broadway-caliber staging contrasts garish spectacle with piercingly intimate scenes between Claire and Anton.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Bad Faux Foliage Overly bright fall foliage made from plastic or other unsustainable materials can look garish and off-putting.

— Kristin Hohenadel, The Spruce, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of garish

Verb

One of his biggest projects after returning to public life was a series of portraits of the Statue of Liberty, painted at the White House at the invitation of first lady Nancy Reagan in 1981.

— BETH J. HARPAZ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
However, Lizzie painted a different picture of their relationship when questioned by police in the wake of the murders.

— Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of painted

Adjective

Although garden mums are considered hardy to Zone 5, breeders have developed fall mums with big mounds of showy flowers that may not be as cold-hardy as in the past.

— Lynn Coulter, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2026
Alliums Many people are surprised to find out that our good old culinary onion (Allium cepa) has a tremendous number of very showy cousins that are grown as ornamental bulbs.

— Paul Cappeillo, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of showy

Verb

Ultrathin layer forms stronger protection The team also coated the structured copper foil with an MXene layer roughly 10 nanometers thick.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
Jewelry sat on and among a sink, chair, cabinet, artist easel, and smaller domestic objects coated in the blue carving wax Vernon uses in the workshop.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of coated

Adjective

The swanky celebration kicked off with a ribbon-cutting for the Rivani, a $125 million, 163,000-square-foot mixed‑use office/lifestyle destination from local hospitality giant Robert Rivani.

— Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
Stepping into the venue felt more like entering a swanky cocktail lounge, with bar snacks and cocktails at the ready.

— Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of swank

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

bedaub

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“Bedaubed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bedaubed. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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