besmirch — to damage someone's reputation by saying or suggesting bad things about them
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to damage someone's reputation by saying or suggesting bad things about them
Pronunciation (IPA): /bɪˈsmɜːrtʃ/
Example Sentences
- The tabloid tried to besmirch the celebrity's character with false rumors.
- He refused to besmirch his opponent's name, choosing to run a clean campaign.
- My cat managed to besmirch my reputation as a responsible pet owner by escaping and raiding the neighbor's fish pond.
besmirch
VERB[/bɪˈsmɜːrtʃ/]
to damage someone's reputation by saying or suggesting bad things about them
A rival's whispered lies besmirch the knight's noble reputation overnight.
BE(make) + SMIRCH(stain) — throwing the black paint was his way to BE the one to SMIRCH and completely besmirch the pure statue.
During their careful search of the holy church, the muddy invaders managed to totally besmirch the pure white carpet.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Middle Dutch 'smeerchen' meaning to smear or soil, combined with the prefix 'be-' which intensifies the verb. The word entered English in the 16th century and originally referred to literally soiling something before evolving to mean damaging someone's reputation.
Breakdown
be- (intensifying prefix) + smirch (to soil, from Dutch smeerchen) = besmirch (to thoroughly soil or tarnish one's reputation)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The tabloid tried to besmirch the celebrity's character with false rumors.”
“He refused to besmirch his opponent's name, choosing to run a clean campaign.”
“My cat managed to besmirch my reputation as a responsible pet owner by escaping and raiding the neighbor's fish pond.”
“The company's CEO worried that the data breach would besmirch their brand image.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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