Refine this word faster

Stronger alternatives Opposite tone Use in context Cross-language nuance

Smear

//smiɚ// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A mark made by smearing. countable, uncountable

    "This detergent cleans windows without leaving smears."

  2. 2
    an act that brings discredit to the person who does it wordnet
  3. 3
    A false or unsupported, malicious statement intended to injure a person's reputation. countable, uncountable

    "smear campaign"

  4. 4
    a blemish made by dirt wordnet
  5. 5
    A preparation to be examined under a microscope, made by spreading a thin layer of a substance (such as blood, bacterial culture) on a slide. countable, uncountable
Show 6 more definitions
  1. 6
    a thin tissue or blood sample spread on a glass slide and stained for cytologic examination and diagnosis under a microscope wordnet
  2. 7
    A Pap smear (screening test for cervical cancer). countable, uncountable

    "I'm going to the doctor's this afternoon for a smear."

  3. 8
    slanderous defamation wordnet
  4. 9
    Any of various forms of distortion that make a signal harder to see or hear. uncountable

    "In television terms, a certain amount of smear, ringing, and anticipatory overshoot are indigenous to VSB transmission."

  5. 10
    A maneuver in which the shoe is placed onto the holdless rock, and the friction from the shoe keeps it in contact countable, uncountable
  6. 11
    A rough glissando in jazz music. countable, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    To spread (a substance, especially one that colours or is dirty) across a surface by rubbing. transitive

    "The artist smeared paint over the canvas in broad strokes."

  2. 2
    charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone wordnet
  3. 3
    To cover (a surface with a layer of some substance) by rubbing. transitive

    "She smeared her lips with lipstick."

  4. 4
    cover (a surface) by smearing (a substance) over it wordnet
  5. 5
    To make something dirty. transitive

    "A man may bee smeared or grimed, and euerie man shall laugh at him, and yet he himselfe shall not perceiue it a whit."

Show 11 more definitions
  1. 6
    make a smudge on; soil by smudging wordnet
  2. 7
    (of a substance, etc.) To make a surface dirty by covering it. transitive

    "a pallor which was accentuated by the blood which smeared her lips and cheeks and chin"

  3. 8
    stain by smearing or daubing with a dirty substance wordnet
  4. 9
    To damage someone's reputation by slandering, misrepresenting, or otherwise making false accusations about them, their statements, or their actions. derogatory, transitive

    "The opposition party attempted to smear the candidate by spreading incorrect and unverifiable rumors about their personal behavior."

  5. 10
    To cause (something) to be messy or not clear by rubbing and spreading it. transitive

    "When she had entered two or three laborious items in the account-book, Jip would walk over the page, wagging his tail, and smear them all out."

  6. 11
    To become messy or not clear by being spread. intransitive

    "The paint is still wet — don't touch it or it will smear."

  7. 12
    To write or draw (something) by spreading a substance on a surface. transitive

    "ciphers smeared on the windows of condemned shops"

  8. 13
    To cause (something) to be a particular colour by covering with a substance. transitive

    "small wooden dolls smeared red as though with blood"

  9. 14
    To rub (a body part, etc.) across a surface. transitive

    "[…] he smeared his ragged rough sleeve over his eyes."

  10. 15
    To attempt to remove (a substance) from a surface by rubbing. transitive

    "He had […] a dirty belcher handkerchief round his neck, with the long frayed ends of which he smeared the beer from his face as he spoke:"

  11. 16
    To climb without using footholds, using the friction from the shoe to stay on the wall.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English smeren, smerien, from Old English smerian, smyrian, smierwan (“to anoint or rub with grease, oil, etc.”), from Proto-West Germanic *smirwijan, from Proto-Germanic *smirwijaną. Doublet of schmear. Cognate with Saterland Frisian smeere, Dutch smeren, Low German smeren, German schmieren.

Etymology 2

From Middle English smeren, smerien, from Old English smerian, smyrian, smierwan (“to anoint or rub with grease, oil, etc.”), from Proto-West Germanic *smirwijan, from Proto-Germanic *smirwijaną. Doublet of schmear. Cognate with Saterland Frisian smeere, Dutch smeren, Low German smeren, German schmieren.

See also for "smear"

Synonyms Antonyms Rhymes Sentences Translate Word Type Pronunciation Word Forms

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciation

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: smear