smear

[ smeer ]

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.

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

/ 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

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

Derived Forms

• ˈsmearer, noun

Other Words From

• smearer noun
• un·smeared adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of smear¹

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; emery

Word History and Origins

Origin of smear¹

Old English smeoru (n); related to Old Norse smjör fat, Old High German smero, Greek muron ointment

Example Sentences

He adopted “Dec Martens” as a kind of punk rock alias, like the Germs’ Darby Crash or Pat Smear.

From Los Angeles Times

Alba Party general secretary Chris McEleny said Salmond had been cleared by a court of law, and claimed the former first minister was the victim of a smear campaign.

From BBC

Ali denied all wrongdoing, saying he is the target of a smear campaign.

From Los Angeles Times

Donald Trump is continuing to dig way down into his nasty bucket of racism and hate, grab the mess in his hands, and then smear it all over himself.

From Salon

“If you allow your 2-year-old to smear the contents of his diapers on the wall of your living room and you do nothing about it, if you allow your 14-year-old to light a joint at the breakfast table, if you allow your hormone-addled 15-year-old daughter to slam the door of her bedroom and give you the finger, you’re gonna get more of it and those kids are going to wind up in rehab,” Carlson, who has three adult daughters, said at the pro-Trump Turning Point USA event.

From Salon

Related Words

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