besmirch

transitive-verb
UK: /bɪˈsmɜːrtʃ/
US: /bɪˈsmɜːrtʃ/

  1. To damage the reputation of someone or something in the opinion of others.

    1. Don't besmirch my family's good name. [ ] [ ]
    2. The scandal threatened to besmirch the reputation of the entire company, creating lasting damage. [ ] [ ]

  2. To make something dirty or stained.

    1. Mud can besmirch your clean shoes. [ ] [ ]
    2. His lies did besmirch their honest name, leaving a stain that was difficult to erase. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

sully stain defile discredit tarnish damage smear blacken

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "besmirch" in English means: To damage the reputation of someone or something in the opinion of others., To make something dirty or stained..

The phonetic transcription of "besmirch" is /bɪˈsmɜːrtʃ/ in British English and /bɪˈsmɜːrtʃ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "besmirch": sully, stain, defile, discredit, tarnish, damage, smear, blacken.

Example usage of "besmirch": "Don't besmirch my family's good name.". More examples on the page.