# besmear

> English word · Verb

## Definitions
1. To smear over, to smear all over, to daub.
2. To damage the reputation of, to tarnish, to sully.

## Etymology
From Middle English *bismerwen, from Old English besmirwan, besmierwan (“to besmear”), equivalent to be- + smear. Cognate with Dutch besmeren (“to besmear”), German beschmieren (“to besmear”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/besmear