# besmirch

> English word · Verb · IPA /bɪˈsmɜːtʃ/ · frequency rank #94,587

## Definitions
1. To make dirty.
2. To tarnish something, especially someone's reputation.

## Etymology
From Middle English besmorchen (attested in besmorchid). Compare Middle English bismotered (“bespattered, soiled”). By surface analysis, be- + smirch.

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