besmirch
Appearance
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From Middle English besmorchen (attested in besmorchid), equivalent to be- + smirch. Compare Middle English bismotered (“bespattered, soiled”).
Pronunciation
[edit]- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /bɪˈsmɜːtʃ/
- (General American) IPA(key): /bɪˈsmɝːt͡ʃ/
Audio (US): (file) Audio (General Australian): (file) - Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)tʃ
Verb
[edit]besmirch (third-person singular simple present besmirches, present participle besmirching, simple past and past participle besmirched)
- (transitive, literary) To make dirty.
- Synonym: soil
- (transitive) To tarnish something, especially someone's reputation.
Derived terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]make dirty
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tarnish; debase
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Anagrams
[edit]Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms prefixed with be-
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)tʃ
- Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)tʃ/2 syllables
- English lemmas
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs
- English literary terms
- English terms with usage examples