smeared

verbrub on, spread over
verbtarnish a reputation

Synonyms for smeared

verb rub on, spread over

Antonyms for smeared

Word Origin & History

Old English smerian, smierwan "to anoint or rub with grease, oil, etc.," from Proto-Germanic *smerwjan "to spread grease on" (cf. Old Norse smyrja "to anoint, rub with ointment," Danish smøre, Swedish smörja, Dutch smeren, Old High German smirwen "apply salve, smear," German schmieren "to smear;" Old Norse smör "butter"), from PIE *smeru- "grease" (cf. Greek myron "unguent, balsam," Old Irish smi(u)r "marrow," Old English smeoru "fat, grease, ointment, tallow, lard, suet," Lithuanian smarsas "fat").

Figurative sense of "assault a public reputation with unsubstantiated charges" is from 1879. Related: Smeared; smearing. Smear-word, one used regardless of its literal meaning but invested with invective, is from 1938.

Example Sentences for smeared

He was blacker than I was; all smeared with grease and stripped to his waist.

His cap had gone, and his fiery red hair was smeared with mud.

When you gave my daughter a fish, you gave it smeared all over with mud.

They concluded by licking the porringers, and were smeared with soup up to their eyes.

Both were stained and smeared with grease; they were amply large.

His face was bruised and cut, and dry blood was smeared all round his mouth.

Further, that a pocket-book found in his possession was smeared with blood.

John saw that his face was smeared crimson from the cut on his head.

As Grell did so he smeared the tips of the fingers of the right hand with ink.

He picked up a handful of dirt and smeared it over his face.

smeared

Synonyms for smeared

Antonyms for smeared

grimy

unclean

smeared

Synonyms for smeared

Antonyms for smeared

More words related to smeared

greasy

grimy

unclean