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blemished; blemishing; blemishes
: to spoil by a flaw
: a noticeable imperfection
especially
: one that seriously impairs appearance
Synonyms
Example Sentences
Verb
A series of burn marks blemish the table's surface.
The incident blemished his reputation.
Noun
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.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Michelle Gardner, The Arizona Republic, 4 Dec. 2022
These situations will test the health of your company, and the danger of neglecting the role of communications could not just blemish your brand’s health but also impact the bottom line.
—Jennifer Acree, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022
However, dirt, debris, and food can blemish these tough surfaces over time.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 June 2022
While liquid is simmering, peel the pears, leaving the stem intact and being careful not to blemish the flesh of the pears.
—Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 8 Dec. 2021
But Paul’s latest shortcoming and his uncertain playoff future should not blemish an otherwise impeccable basketball résumé.
—Mark Medina, USA TODAY, 21 July 2021
And while some have sought therapy or medications to cope, others fear that engaging in these support systems could blemish their records and dissuade future employers from hiring them.
—New York Times, 25 Nov. 2020
For his part, Hinch defended his players' talents but acknowledged the clubhouse put itself in a position where its achievements may be blemished.
—Editors, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2020
Such a policy would ensure that individuals did not emerge from this crisis burdened with debts and blemished credit
Renters need help, too.
—Sendhil Mullainathan, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2020
Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2023
The Lions have won four of their past four games, with their only blemish since Halloween coming in last week’s Thanksgiving loss to the Buffalo Bills, who kicked the game-winning field goal with 2 seconds to play.
—Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, 5 Dec. 2022
In Grapevine’s near-flawless 11-1 season, there’s just one blemish that dates back to non-district play.
—Dallas News, 21 Nov. 2022
But the Knights have quietly been playing impressive football – outside a loss at East Carolina that was their only blemish in their last seven games.
—USA TODAY, 11 Nov. 2022
In 10 postseason games against Cleveland, that is Chapman’s only blemish.
—Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 9 Oct. 2022
Hood-Schifino had 33 points, three rebounds and three assists, with the only major blemish being his six turnovers.
—Tyler Tachman, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Jan. 2023
The only blemish was a 1-1 draw at SJS on Sept. 20.
—Matt Doherty, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Nov. 2022
The only blemish on his game is shaky three-point shooting.
—Jeff Potrykus, Journal Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2022
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Verb
Corrigan added that such a narrow defeat in a conference title game didn't blemish the resume TCU already had in place.
—Michelle Gardner, The Arizona Republic, 4 Dec. 2022
These situations will test the health of your company, and the danger of neglecting the role of communications could not just blemish your brand’s health but also impact the bottom line.
—Jennifer Acree, Forbes, 12 Aug. 2022
However, dirt, debris, and food can blemish these tough surfaces over time.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 June 2022
While liquid is simmering, peel the pears, leaving the stem intact and being careful not to blemish the flesh of the pears.
—Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 8 Dec. 2021
But Paul’s latest shortcoming and his uncertain playoff future should not blemish an otherwise impeccable basketball résumé.
—Mark Medina, USA TODAY, 21 July 2021
And while some have sought therapy or medications to cope, others fear that engaging in these support systems could blemish their records and dissuade future employers from hiring them.
—New York Times, 25 Nov. 2020
For his part, Hinch defended his players' talents but acknowledged the clubhouse put itself in a position where its achievements may be blemished.
—Editors, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2020
Such a policy would ensure that individuals did not emerge from this crisis burdened with debts and blemished credit
Renters need help, too.
—Sendhil Mullainathan, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2020
Noun
Defense has been the one constant blemish on the Kelly era, largely offsetting his elite offenses.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2023
The Lions have won four of their past four games, with their only blemish since Halloween coming in last week’s Thanksgiving loss to the Buffalo Bills, who kicked the game-winning field goal with 2 seconds to play.
—Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, 5 Dec. 2022
In Grapevine’s near-flawless 11-1 season, there’s just one blemish that dates back to non-district play.
—Dallas News, 21 Nov. 2022
But the Knights have quietly been playing impressive football – outside a loss at East Carolina that was their only blemish in their last seven games.
—USA TODAY, 11 Nov. 2022
In 10 postseason games against Cleveland, that is Chapman’s only blemish.
—Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 9 Oct. 2022
Hood-Schifino had 33 points, three rebounds and three assists, with the only major blemish being his six turnovers.
—Tyler Tachman, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Jan. 2023
The only blemish was a 1-1 draw at SJS on Sept. 20.
—Matt Doherty, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Nov. 2022
The only blemish on his game is shaky three-point shooting.
—Jeff Potrykus, Journal Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2022
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blemish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
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
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Noun
1535, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of blemish was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near blemish
Cite this Entry
“Blemish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blemish. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.
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
More from Merriam-Webster on blemish
Nglish: Translation of blemish for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of blemish for Arabic Speakers
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