smear
[verb]
Synonyms:
- spread over, bedaub, coat, cover, daub, rub on
- dirty, smudge, soil, stain, sully
- slander, besmirch, blacken, malign
[noun]
Synonyms:
- smudge, blot, blotch, daub, splotch, streak
- slander, calumny, defamation, libel

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Related Idioms: use smear tactics (on or against), mop up the floor (or earth) with
Related Words: rub, coat, cover, overlay, overspread, spread, smirch, soil, foil, frustrate, repulse

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English Thesaurus: mark, spot, stain, smudge, smear, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. smear¹ /smɪə $ smɪr/ noun [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: smeoru 'fatty material']

1. a dirty mark made by a small amount of something spread across a surface
smear of
a smear of paint
It left a black smear on his arm.

2. British English a smear test

3. an untrue story about a politician or other important person that is told in order to make people lose respect for them – used especially in newspapers
—smeary adjective:
a smeary glass

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. smear² verb

1. SPREAD [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to spread a liquid or soft substance over a surface, especially in a careless or untidy way
smear something with something
His face was smeared with mud.
smear something on/over etc something
Elaine smeared suntan lotion on her shoulders.

2. TELL LIES [transitive] to tell an untrue story about someone important in order to make people lose respect for them – used especially in newspapers:
an attempt to smear the party leadership

3. DIRTY [transitive] to put dirty or oily marks on something:
smeared windows

4. INK/PAINT [intransitive and transitive] if writing, a picture, or paint smears or is smeared, the ink or paint is accidentally touched and spread across the surface Synonym : smudge:
Several words were smeared.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

smear
noun
I. mark
ADJ. greasy
VERB + SMEAR leave
PREP. ~ of His fingers left a smear of sweat on the wall.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

smear
II. lies about an important person
VERB + SMEAR cast The article cast a smear on the Minister for Health.
SMEAR + NOUN campaign, tactic
PREP. ~ against/on campaign smears against the socialist candidate

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

smear
verb
ADV. liberally She smeared the cream liberally on her face.
PREP. across, on, (all) over, with The child had smeared jam all over her face.
PHRASES heavily smeared with Their faces were heavily smeared with mud.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

mark a dirty area on something that spoils its appearance:
The bark of the tree had made black marks on her trousers.
spot a small mark on something:
a grease spot on my shirt
stain a mark that is difficult to remove, especially one made by a dark liquid:
a wine stain on the tablecloth
blood stains
smudge a mark that is made when something touches against a surface:
There was a smudge of lipstick on his cheek.
He had a smudge of chalk on his jacket.
smear a mark that is made by a small amount of something spread across a surface:
The table had a smear of paint on the top.
fingerprint (also fingermark British English) a mark on the surface of something that is made by someone’s fingers:
The glass was covered with greasy fingerprints.
blemish a mark on your skin that spoils its appearance:
John grew a beard to hide the blemishes on his chin.
mole a small dark, sometimes raised, mark on your skin:
Some moles may become cancerous.
Helena found a mole on her arm which had definitely not been there before.
freckles small light brown marks on your skin, especially on your face but also on your arms, shoulders etc:
She had a light sprinkling of freckles across her nose.
birthmark a permanent mark on your skin that you have had since you were born:
There was a small birthmark on her left cheek.
bruise a purple or brown mark on your skin that you get because you have fallen or been hit:
Her legs were covered in cuts and bruises.
scar a permanent mark on your skin, caused by a cut or by something that burns you:
The injury left a small scar on his forehead.
pimple/zit (also spot British English) a small raised red mark or lump on your skin, which usually appears when a child is between 12 and 18 years old:
When I was a teenager I had terrible spots.
The boy had a few pimples under his chin.
wart a small hard raised mark on your skin caused by a virus:
His face was covered in hairy warts.
blister a small area of skin that is swollen and full of liquid because it has been rubbed or burned:
There was a blister on his arm where the boiling milk had splashed him.
rash an area of small red spots on your skin, caused by an illness or an allergy:
I can’t eat strawberries - they give me a rash.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲