Meaning & use
Besmirch
Last updated
To damage or tarnish someone's reputation, honor, or name.
See it in a sentence
The tabloid story was designed to besmirch the senator's reputation before the election.
He refused to let false rumors besmirch his family's good name.
A note on using this word
Built from 'smirch,' meaning to smear or stain, with the intensifying prefix 'be-'; it almost always applies to reputation rather than physical dirt.
Words with a similar meaning
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