smear

American  

[smeer] / smɪər /

verb (used with object)

1. to spread or daub (an oily, greasy, viscous, or wet substance) on or over something.

   to smear butter on bread.

2. to spread or daub an oily, greasy, viscous, or wet substance on.

   to smear bread with butter.

3. to stain, spot, or make dirty with something oily, greasy, viscous, or wet.

4. to sully, vilify, or soil (a reputation, good name, etc.).

5. to smudge or blur, as by rubbing.

   The signature was smeared.

6. Slang. to defeat decisively; overwhelm.

   They smeared the home team.

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noun

1. an oily, greasy, viscous, or wet substance, especially a dab of such a substance.

2. a stain, spot, or mark made by such a substance.

3. a smudge.

4. something smeared or to be smeared on a thing, as a glaze for pottery.

5. a small quantity of something spread thinly on a slide for microscopic examination.

6. vilification.

   a smear by a cheap gossip columnist.

smear British  

/ smɪə /

verb

1. to bedaub or cover with oil, grease, etc

2. to rub over or apply thickly

3. to rub so as to produce a smudge

4. to slander

5. slang to defeat completely

6. (intr) to be or become smeared or dirtied

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noun

1. a dirty mark or smudge

2. 1. a slanderous attack

   2. ( as modifier )

      smear tactics

3. a preparation of blood, secretions, etc, smeared onto a glass slide for examination under a microscope

Other Word Forms

• smearer noun
• unsmeared adjective

Etymology

Origin of smear

before 900; (v.) Middle English smeren, smirien to rub with fat, anoint, Old English smirian, smerian, smerwan; cognate with Dutch smeren, German schmieren, Old Norse smyrja, smyrwa; (noun) in current senses derivative of the v.; compare obsolete smear fat, grease, ointment, Middle English smere, Old English smeoru, cognate with Dutch smear, German Schmer, Old Norse smjǫr grease, Greek smýris rubbing powder; see emery

Explanation

To smear something is to smudge or blur it. You might literally smear your pen-and-ink drawing, or figuratively have your reputation smeared by getting caught in a lie. You can also smear things physically by smoothing them onto another surface, like when you smear lip balm on your mouth or smear cream cheese on your bagel. When you smear a person, however, you cause them real harm by hurting their reputation badly. A politician might smear an opponent by falsely claiming they lied about where they went to college, for example. That kind of smear can be hard to erase.

Example Sentences

Blake Lively sought more than $161 million in damages, alleging a smear campaign by Baldoni and his team harmed her reputation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Lively said the alleged smear campaign led to her losing out on acting jobs and revenue related to her alcohol and hair-care brands.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

George denied the allegations and said he was the victim of a "smear campaign" aimed at covering up the actual reasons for his firing.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

The Center for Responsible Lending says the industry is “using false allegations as part of a smear campaign to distract from the clear harm caused by their products.”

From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026

When we got home last Saturday, she made a big fuss and made me clip a leaf off the aloe vera plant in her front window so she could smear the gel on his blisters.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

Related Words

• besmirch
• blur
• coat
• dab
• daub
• plaster
• smudge
• spatter
• spray
• sprinkle
• stain
• sully
• taint
• tar
• tarnish