noun
verb
Related Words
See defect.
Other Word Forms
- blemisher noun
- unblemished adjective
- unblemishing adjective
Etymology
Origin of blemish
1275–1325; Middle English (v.) < Anglo-French, Middle French blemiss-, long stem of ble ( s ) mir to make livid, perhaps < Old Low Franconian *blesmjan; blaze 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index was a blemish, closing the day 1.8% lower.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026
Sagimet’s denifanstat showed increased blemish clearance in young adults after a year, with a 20% reduction in pimples after three months compared with a placebo in a China study.
From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026
Martin gave his word, and breaking it is a needless distraction and blemish on the party.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2025
Should you instantly disqualify anyone with a blemish on their record?
From MarketWatch • Dec. 12, 2025
Their faces were so full of grace, so free of blemish, so perfect, that even today, even in the old black-and-white film, you can almost see the pink blush of their cheeks.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
