smirch 1 of 2

noun

Definition of smirchnext
as in stain
a mark of guilt or disgrace corruption charges that were a smirch on her reputation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

smirch

2 of 2

verb

ˈsmərch How to pronounce smirch (audio)
1
as in to stain
to make dirty their clothes were smirched by dust from the trail

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to humiliate
to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes this scandal will forever smirch the name of a once-great family

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for smirch
  1. stain
  2. blacken
  3. humiliate
  4. taint
  5. dirty
  6. discredit
  7. blot
  8. besmirch
Noun
  • While the worst issues were discovered at the Sleep Inn, site visits at the Holiday Inn and Fairfield Inn also revealed water stains, humid laundry facilities and signs of pests.
    — Renee Anderson, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • There’s a pet-stain remover under the sink, which, of course, does nothing.
    — Brandon Follick, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of stain
Verb
  • Timber Fire Monterey County’s Timber Fire burning near Big Sur has blackened nearly 2,500 acres since its start Monday afternoon and is 5% contained.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The old silver and gold shops, their facades blackened by time, were gone.
    — Lina Sergie Attar, Time, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of blacken
Verb
  • After being publicly humiliated by Daemon Targaryen and lured to switch sides (with his dragon) to the Greens by Ormund Hightower, party animal Ulf is still drunk and MIA when the battle starts.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Each action can increase the pressure on the person being humiliated.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of humiliate
Noun
  • Even though Thiam denied knowledge of it and was cleared of involvement, the taint of the scandal led to his ouster.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026
  • On top of worrying about making great wine, European producers will now have to mitigate against smoke taint, save their grapes from frost, and consider how to future-proof vineyards in a rapidly changing climate.
    — Kate Dingwall, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 July 2026
Definition of taint
Verb
  • Satisfy your lasagna craving without dirtying up a pile of dishes.
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 9 July 2026
  • The zipper shoe compartment keeps your shoes from dirtying up your clothing, and the massive interior can hold many outfits for your weekend getaway.
    — Olivia Dubyak, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
Definition of dirty
Verb
  • Stafford played the Bears that week, and Jones needed to find a way to discredit Stafford and elevate Caleb Williams.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2026
  • By contrast, the defense will point to the parts of the book that are provably false, in an attempt to discredit it, explained David Roger, the former Clark County, Nevada, district attorney.
    — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of discredit
Noun
  • If especially juicy, lightly blot with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Once the stain is gone, blot again with a clean damp cloth to remove any soap residue and allow the upholstery to air-dry completely.
    — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of blot
Verb
  • In her response, Hajdini cast Rana as manipulative and deceitful, intent on ruining her life and besmirching her employer through his sensational accusations.
    — David Chiu, PEOPLE, 28 May 2026
  • Bryna Laub, editor of Daytime Serial Newsletter, felt the show besmirched the sanctity of soaps and contributed to the broader currents of shame surrounding the genre.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
Definition of besmirch
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

smilingly
smirch
smirched
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Smirch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smirch. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of balmy

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All