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PlainSpell

smear

/smiɚ/verb, noun

smear is spelled S-M-E-A-R: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 2.9 times per million words in written English, the 15,798th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, smear means “To spread (a substance, especially one that colours or is dirty) across a surface by rubbing” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in smear?

Letters5: S-M-E-A-R
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing2.9 times per million words; the 15,798th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with
Same letters

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is smear?

Smear appears 2.9 times per million words in written English, the 15,798th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce smear?

  • UK /smɪə(ɹ)/
  • US /smiɚ/
  • US /smɪɚ/

Smear has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-smear.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with smear?

2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as smear from its last stressed vowel (/iəɹ/):

Spelled with the same letters in another order: maser, marse.

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of smear

  • smears present, singular, he/she/it, plural
  • smearing participle, present
  • smeared participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does smear mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

verb

  1. 1

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

    The artist smeared paint over the canvas in broad strokes.

  2. 2

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

    She smeared her lips with lipstick.

  3. 3

    To make something dirty.

  4. 4

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

  5. 5

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

    The opposition party attempted to smear the candidate by spreading incorrect and unverifiable rumors about their personal behavior.

  6. 6

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

  7. 7

    To become messy or not clear by being spread.

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

  8. 8

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

noun

  1. 1

    A mark made by smearing.

    This detergent cleans windows without leaving smears.

  2. 2

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

  3. 3

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

    smear campaign

  4. 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.

  5. 5

    A Pap smear (screening test for cervical cancer).

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

  6. 6

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

  7. 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.

  8. 8

    A rough glissando in jazz music.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Smear in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchbadigeonner, étaler (to spread (a substance)), couvrir (to spread (a surface) with a substance), diffamer (to damage someone's reputation by slandering…), trace, traînée (mark)
Germanschmieren (to spread (a substance)), beschmieren (to spread (a surface) with a substance), diffamieren, verleumden (to damage someone's reputation by slandering…)
Portugueselambuzar, untar (to spread (a substance)), manchar (to damage someone's reputation by slandering…), macha (mark), esfregaço (preparation to be examined under a microscope)
Spanishuntar, embadurnar, ungir (to spread (a substance)), mancha, churrete (mark)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does smear come from?

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.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after smear