Standard Lemma guide

smear

noun · verb · 28 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: smî r
  • UK: /smɪə(ɹ)/
  • US: smîr
  • US: /smiɚ/
  • US: /smɪɚ/
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: S M IH1 R Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A mark made by smearing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • This detergent cleans windows without leaving smears.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: streak

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A mark made by smearing.

A presentation of a sauce, purée or other food item, which is placed in a dollop and spread across the plate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: cooking, food, lifestyle

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: streak, swoosh

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A false or unsupported, malicious statement intended to injure a person's reputation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • smear campaign

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: calumny, slander, slur, mudslinging

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A preparation to be examined under a microscope, made by spreading a thin layer of a substance (such as blood, bacterial culture) on a slide.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: biology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: squash

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A Pap smear (screening test for cervical cancer).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: medicine, sciences

Examples

  • I'm going to the doctor's this afternoon for a smear.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cervical smear, Pap test

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

Any of various forms of distortion that make a signal harder to see or hear.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: broadcasting, media, radio, television

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A maneuver in which a shoe is placed onto a holdless rock, and the friction from the shoe keeps it in contact with the rock.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: climbing, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A rough glissando in jazz music.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To spread (a substance, especially one that colours or is dirty) across a surface by rubbing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The artist smeared paint over the canvas in broad strokes.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: apply, daub, plaster, spread

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To cover (a surface with a layer of some substance) by rubbing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • She smeared her lips with lipstick.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bedaub, coat, cover, daub, layer, plaster

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To make something dirty.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: besmirch, dirty, soil, sully, assoil, beclart, bedaub, bedirty, imbrue (especially with blood), bedizen, befile, befilth, befoul, begrime, beray, beshit, besmear, besully, bewray, blacken, blot, blur, clat, contaminate, darken, defile, dirten, elt, file, foil, foul, gunk, gunk up, inquinate, scunge, sling mud, slotter, slur, smear, smirch, smudge, smut, smutch, soss, sowl, spot, stain, sullow, tarnish, uggle

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

(of a substance, etc.) To make a surface dirty by covering it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To damage someone's reputation by slandering, misrepresenting, or otherwise making false accusations about them, their statements, or their actions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, transitive

Examples

  • The opposition party attempted to smear the candidate by spreading incorrect and unverifiable rumors about their personal behavior.
  • 1976, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, “J.M.—A Writer’s Tribute” in Writers in Politics, London: Heinemann, 1981, p. 82, The imperialist foreigners then in the offices of the Nation Newspapers would not allow the African staff to review it. They handled it themselves in order to smear the book and its author and his celebration of Mau Mau resistance.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: badmouth, besmirch, defame, sully, vilify, assassinate, asperse, backbite, befoul, belibel, besmear, bewray, blacken, blame, blaze, blemish, blot, blur, calumniate, calumny, chat shit, chat shite, cloud, demonize, denigrate, deprave, depreciate, detract, dirty, discredit, disgrace, disparage, disrepute, diss, drag through the mud, forgab, forspeak, foul, infamize, lampoon, libel, malign, monsterize, muddy, reproach, revile, scandal, shit-talk, slag, slander, smear, smirch, spatter, spot, speak ill of, stab, stain, talk shit, talk shite, talk trash, tarnish, torch, traduce, trash-talk, unflatter, vilipend, villainize, wrong

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To cause (something) to be messy or not clear by rubbing and spreading it.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: blur, smudge

Antonyms: none provided

15

verb

Meaning 15

To become messy or not clear by being spread.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The paint is still wet — don't touch it or it will smear.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: smudge

Antonyms: none provided

16

verb

Meaning 16

To write or draw (something) by spreading a substance on a surface.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

17

verb

Meaning 17

To cause (something) to be a particular colour by covering with a substance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

18

verb

Meaning 18

To rub (a body part, etc.) across a surface.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

19

verb

Meaning 19

To attempt to remove (a substance) from a surface by rubbing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • 1960, Katherine Anne Porter, “Holiday” in Douglas and Sylvia Angus (eds.), Contemporary American Short Stories, New York: Ballantine, 1983, p. 323, [...] she stood and shook with silent crying, smearing away her tears with the open palm of her hand.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

20

verb

Meaning 20

To climb without using footholds, using the friction from the shoe to stay on the wall.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: climbing, hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

21

noun

Meaning 21

an act that brings discredit to the person who does it

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he made a huge blot on his copybook

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: blot, smirch, spot, stain

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: mistake, error, fault

22

noun

Meaning 22

a blemish made by dirt

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he had a smudge on his cheek

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: smudge, spot, blot, daub, smirch, slur

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: blemish, defect, mar

Narrower terms: blotch, splodge, splotch, fingermark, fingerprint, inkblot

23

noun

Meaning 23

a thin tissue or blood sample spread on a glass slide and stained for cytologic examination and diagnosis under a microscope

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cytologic smear, cytosmear

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cytologic specimen

Narrower terms: alimentary tract smear, cervical smear, Pap smear, Papanicolaou smear, lower respiratory tract smear, bronchoscopic smear, sputum smear, vaginal smear

24

noun

Meaning 24

slanderous defamation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: vilification, malignment

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: defamation, calumny, calumniation, obloquy, traducement, hatchet job

25

verb

Meaning 25

charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The journalists have defamed me!
  • The article in the paper sullied my reputation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: defame, slander, smirch, asperse, denigrate, calumniate, sully, besmirch

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: charge, accuse

Narrower terms: assassinate, libel, badmouth, malign, traduce, drag through the mud

26

verb

Meaning 26

cover (a surface) by smearing (a substance) over it

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • smear the wall with paint
  • daub the ceiling with plaster

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: daub

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: cover

Narrower terms: blood

27

verb

Meaning 27

make a smudge on; soil by smudging

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: blur, smudge, smutch

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: rub

Narrower terms: resmudge, dust

28

verb

Meaning 28

stain by smearing or daubing with a dirty substance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dirty, soil, begrime, grime, colly, bemire

Narrower terms: moil, smirch, besmirch

History

Etymology

From Middle English smeren, smerien, from Old English smerian, smyrian, smierwan (“to anoint or rub with grease, oil, etc.”), from Proto-West Germanic *smirwijan, from Proto-Germanic *smirwijaną. Doublet of schmear. Cognate with Saterland Frisian smeere, Dutch smeren (“to smear, lubricate”), Low German smeren, German schmieren (“to smear, lubricate”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål smøre (“to lubricate”), Norwegian Nynorsk smørja (“to lubricate”), Swedish smörja (“to grease”), Faroese and Icelandic smyrja.

Across languages

Translations

164 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: петно (petno) — mark
  • Bulgarian: леке (leke) — mark
  • Czech: šmouha — mark
  • Esperanto: strio — mark
  • Finnish: tahra — mark
  • Finnish: töhry — mark
  • French: trace — mark
  • French: traînée — mark
  • French: frottis — mark
  • Irish: smearadh — mark
  • Italian: macchia — mark
  • Italian: sbavatura — mark
  • Macedonian: да́мка (dámka) — mark
  • Māori: tope — mark
  • Polish: maźnięcie — mark
  • Portuguese: macha — mark
  • Romanian: frotiu — mark
  • Spanish: mancha — mark
  • Spanish: churrete — mark
  • Tagalog: kulapol — mark
  • Portuguese: esfregaço — preparation to be examined under a microscope
  • Swedish: utstryk — preparation to be examined under a microscope
  • Albanian: ly — to spread (a substance)
  • Bashkir: һөртөү (hörtöw) — to spread (a substance)
  • Bulgarian: мажа (maža) — to spread (a substance)
  • Bulgarian: размазвам (razmazvam) — to spread (a substance)
  • Catalan: escampar — to spread (a substance)
  • Chickasaw: aabi — to spread (a substance)
  • Chinese Mandarin: 塗抹 /涂抹 (túmǒ) — to spread (a substance)
  • Dutch: smeren — to spread (a substance)
  • Dutch: uitsmeren — to spread (a substance)
  • Esperanto: ŝmiri — to spread (a substance)
  • Finnish: levittää — to spread (a substance)
  • Finnish: töhertää — to spread (a substance)
  • French: badigeonner — to spread (a substance)
  • French: étaler — to spread (a substance)
  • Galician: untar — to spread (a substance)
  • Georgian: გლესვა (glesva) — to spread (a substance)
  • Georgian: წასმა (c̣asma) — to spread (a substance)
  • German: schmieren — to spread (a substance)
  • German: schmirre — to spread (a substance)
  • Hebrew: מָרַח (maráẖ) — to spread (a substance)
  • Italian: ungere — to spread (a substance)
  • Italian: spalmare — to spread (a substance)
  • Italian: imbrattare — to spread (a substance)
  • Italian: sbavare — to spread (a substance)
  • Japanese: 塗る (nuru) — to spread (a substance)
  • Japanese: 塗り付ける (nuritsukeru) — to spread (a substance)
  • Macedonian: разма́чкува (razmáčkuva) — to spread (a substance)
  • Macedonian: ра́змачка (rázmačka) — to spread (a substance)
  • Macedonian: мачка (mačka) — to spread (a substance)
  • Māori: pani — to spread (a substance)
  • Māori: panipani — to spread (a substance)
  • Māori: penu — to spread (a substance)
  • Māori: muku — to spread (a substance)
  • Māori: mukumuku — to spread (a substance)
  • Old English: smierwan — to spread (a substance)
  • Polish: mazać — to spread (a substance)
  • Polish: pomazać — to spread (a substance)
  • Polish: smarować — to spread (a substance)
  • Polish: posmarować — to spread (a substance)
  • Portuguese: lambuzar — to spread (a substance)
  • Portuguese: untar — to spread (a substance)
  • Quechua: hawiy — to spread (a substance)
  • Romanian: badijona — to spread (a substance)
  • Russian: разма́зывать (razmázyvatʹ) — to spread (a substance)
  • Russian: разма́зать (razmázatʹ) — to spread (a substance)
  • Russian: ма́зать (mázatʹ) — to spread (a substance)
  • Sanskrit: लिम्पति (limpati) — to spread (a substance)
  • Serbo-Croatian: mȁzati — to spread (a substance)
  • Serbo-Croatian: мазати — to spread (a substance)
  • Spanish: manchar — to spread (a substance)
  • Spanish: untar — to spread (a substance)
  • Spanish: embadurnar — to spread (a substance)
  • Spanish: aplicar — to spread (a substance)
  • Spanish: ungir — to spread (a substance)
  • Tamil: பூசு (pūcu) — to spread (a substance)
  • Tamil: இழிசு (iḻicu) — to spread (a substance)
  • Tamil: தடவு (taṭavu) — to spread (a substance)
  • Thai: ทา (taa) — to spread (a substance)
  • Thai: ป้าย (bpâai) — to spread (a substance)
  • Thai: ปาด (bpàat) — to spread (a substance)
  • Tongan: pani — to spread (a substance)
  • Turkish: yaymak — to spread (a substance)
  • Yiddish: שמירן (shmirn) — to spread (a substance)
  • Yiddish: פּאַטשקען (patshken) — to spread (a substance)
  • Albanian: ly — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Arabic: دَهَنَ (dahana) — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Azerbaijani: sürtmək — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Azerbaijani: yaxmaq — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Bashkir: һөртөү (hörtöw) — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Bulgarian: намазвам (namazvam) — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Catalan: untar — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Chickasaw: aabi — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Czech: potřít — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Czech: pomazat — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Czech: namazat — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Dutch: insmeren — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Esperanto: ŝmiri — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Finnish: töhriä — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Finnish: peittää — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • French: couvrir — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Galician: untar — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • German: beschmieren — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Hindi: मखाना (makhānā) — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Italian: ricoprire — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Latin: linō — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Macedonian: на́мачка (námačka) — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Macedonian: ма́чка (máčka) — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Māori: muku — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Māori: mukumuku — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Māori: pani — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Māori: panipani — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Polish: mazać — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Polish: pomazać — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Polish: smarować — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Polish: posmarować — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Russian: ма́зать (mázatʹ) — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Russian: нама́зать (namázatʹ) — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Russian: сма́зывать (smázyvatʹ) — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Russian: сма́зать (smázatʹ) — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Spanish: untar — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Spanish: cubrir — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Thai: ทา (taa) — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Thai: ป้าย (bpâai) — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Ottoman Turkish: بولامق (bulamak) — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Yiddish: שמירן (shmirn) — to spread (a surface) with a substance
  • Arabic: لَوَّثَ (lawwaṯa) — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Bulgarian: позоря (pozorja) — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Catalan: empastifar — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Chinese Mandarin: 毀謗 /毁谤 (huǐbàng) — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Chinese Mandarin: 誹謗 /诽谤 (fěibàng) — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Czech: pošpinit — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Czech: očernit — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Dutch: lasteren — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Esperanto: fifamigi — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Esperanto: misfamigi — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Finnish: tahrata — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Finnish: tärvellä — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Finnish: loata — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • French: diffamer — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Georgian: ჩირქს სცხებს (čirks scxebs) — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • German: diffamieren — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • German: verleumden — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Italian: macchiare — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Italian: diffamare — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Italian: denigrare — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Macedonian: оцрнува (ocrnuva) — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Māori: tūtara — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Māori: whakahahani — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Māori: tarawau — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Portuguese: manchar — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Russian: мара́ть (marátʹ) — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Russian: замара́ть (zamarátʹ) — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Russian: очерня́ть (očernjátʹ) — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Russian: очерни́ть (očernítʹ) — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Spanish: embarrar — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Spanish: manchar la reputación — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Spanish: difamar — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Spanish: calumniar — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Swedish: smutskasta — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Thai: ป้ายสี (bpâai-sǐi) — to damage someone's reputation by slandering, making false accusations
  • Bashkir: һөртөлөү (hörtölöw) — to become spread by smearing
  • Finnish: töhriintyä — to become spread by smearing