besmirch
verb
R. A. NewhallJohn LahrAnthony GottliebMax Hastings
Did you know?
The prefix be- has several applications in English; in the case of besmirch, it means "to make or cause to be." But what does smirch itself mean? Since the 1400s, smirch has been used as a verb meaning "to make dirty, stained, or discolored." Besmirch joined English in the early 1600s, and today smirch and besmirch are both used when something—and especially something abstract, like a reputation—is being figuratively sullied, i.e., damaged or harmed. Besmirch isn't unique in its journey; English has a history of attaching be- to existing verbs to form synonyms. For example, befriend combines be- in its "to make or cause to be" sense with the verb friend, meaning "to act as the friend of." Befuddle combines be- in its "thoroughly" sense with fuddle, meaning "to stupefy with or as if with drink." And befog combines be- in its "to provide or cover with" sense with fog, meaning "to cover with or as if with fog."
Examples of besmirch in a Sentence
Sasha Abramsky, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2026
The lack of awards buzz shouldn’t besmirch Amanda Seyfried’s performance here, though, which is great.
—Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
For example, anyone who has lived in New York City is likely to have noticed the countless chewing gum stains that besmirch the city’s sidewalks.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
Kelly believes a book like this hasn’t been written before because people weren’t ready to hear the truth – as though acknowledging these famous people’s complete life experiences would be besmirching their legacies.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for besmirch
Cite this Entry
“Besmirch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/besmirch. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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besmirch
verb
