Word Explorer
Smears
To spread (a substance, especially one that colours or is dirty) across a surface by rubbing.
📖 Definitions of "Smears"
- 1
To spread (a substance, especially one that colours or is dirty) across a surface by rubbing.
"The artist smeared paint over the canvas in broad strokes."
- 2
To have a substance smeared on (a surface).
"She smeared her lips with lipstick."
- 3
To damage someone's reputation by slandering, misrepresenting, or otherwise making false accusations about an individual, their statements, or their actions.
"The opposition party attempted to smear the candidate by spreading incorrect and unverifiable rumors about their personal behavior."
- 4
To become spread by smearing.
"The paint is still wet — don't touch it or it will smear."
💡 Words with a Similar Meaning to "Smears"
Found via reverse dictionary — words that share a conceptual meaning.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| besmearverb | (transitive) To smear over, to smear all over, to daub. |
| smudgenoun | A blemish or smear, especially a dark or sooty one. |
| smirchnoun | (figurative, archaic) A stain on somebody's reputation. |
| bedaubverb | (transitive) To smear upon; to soil. |
| smutchnoun | A stain, smudge or blot. |
| blotnoun | A blemish, spot or stain made by a coloured substance. |
| stainnoun | A discolored spot or area caused by spillage or other contact with certain fluids or substances. |
| asperseverb | To falsely or maliciously charge someone. |
| besmirchverb | (transitive) To tarnish something, especially someone's reputation. |
| sullynoun | (rare, obsolete) A blemish. |
| blurnoun | (uncountable) Haziness, blurriness. |
| spotnoun | A round or irregular patch on the surface of a thing having a different color, texture etc. and generally round in shape. |
| daubnoun | A crude or amateurish painting. |
| slurnoun | An extremely offensive and socially unacceptable term targeted at a group of people (such as an ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.). |
| denigrateverb | (transitive) To criticise so as to besmirch; traduce, disparage or defame. |
| vilificationnoun | slanderous or malicious defamation; character assassination |
| slandernoun | A false or unsupported, malicious statement (spoken, not written), especially one which is injurious to a person's reputation; the making of such a statement. |
| calumniateverb | (transitive) To make hurtful untrue comments about. |
| defamenoun | (now rare or nonstandard) Defamation; slander, libel. |
| malignmentnoun | The act of maligning something. |
🎨 Adjectives for "Smears"
Popular adjectives used to describe this word in books.
🏷️ Nouns for "Smears"
Common nouns this word is used to describe.
📝 Common Phrases with "Smears"
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