Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of besmirch

103 similar words · 1 opposite word

Another word for besmirch is soil. Other synonyms of besmirch are dirty, foul, spot, stain and wrong.

Synonyms and similar words for besmirch

verbTo make dirty.

  • soilTo make dirty.
  • sullyTo soil or stain; to dirty.
  • tarnishTo compromise, damage, soil, or sully.
  • beclart UK, dialectalTo besmear; bedaub; bemire; smear all over with dirt.
  • bedirtyTo dirty, soil; make dirty.
  • bedizen UK, dialectalTo make (someone or something) dirty; to bedaub, to besmear, to dirty.
  • befoulTo make foul; to soil; to contaminate, pollute.
  • begrimeTo ingrain grime or dirt which is difficult to remove into (something); also (more generally), to make (something)...
  • beshit figuratively, vulgarTo soil; to spoil; to defile; to befoul.
  • besmearTo smear over, to smear all over, to daub.
  • besullyTo make sullied or soiled; defile.
  • blackenTo make dirty.
  • blotTo impair; to damage; to mar; to soil.
  • clatTo dirty.
  • contaminateTo soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association.
  • darkenTo make foul; to sully; to tarnish.
  • defileTo make (someone or something) physically dirty or unclean; to befoul, to soil.
  • dirtenTo make or become dirty or soiled.
  • dirtyTo stain or tarnish (somebody) with dishonor.
  • elt ScotlandTo begrime; soil with mud; daub; smear.
  • foulTo make dirty.
  • gunkTo soil or make dirty.
  • gunk upTo soil or dirty; to mess up; to clog.
  • inquinateTo pollute or make dirty.
  • scungeTo mark with scunge; to begrime or besmirch.
  • sling mud
  • slotterTo make filthy; to foul.
  • slurTo soil; to sully; to contaminate; to disgrace.
  • smearTo make something dirty.
  • smirchTo dirty; to make dirty.
  • smudgeTo soil or smear with dirt.
  • smutTo stain (or be stained) with soot or other dirt.
  • smutchTo soil, stain or smudge.
  • soss UK, dialectalTo soil; to make dirty.
  • spotTo stain; to leave a spot (on).
  • stainTo discolor, as by spilling or other contact with a fluid or substance.
  • sullowTo sully.
  • assoil obsoleteTo make (something) dirty or soiled; to soil; to stain; to sully.
  • bedaub obsoleteTo smear upon; to soil.
  • imbrue (especially with blood) archaic, literary
  • befile obsoleteTo make filthy; befoul; soil.
  • befilth rareTo cover with filth; make filthy; begrime.
  • beray archaic, obsoleteTo make foul; befoul; soil.
  • bewray archaic, obsoleteTo accuse; malign; speak evil of.
  • blur obsoleteTo smear, stain or smudge.
  • file archaicTo defile.
  • foil obsoleteTo defile; to soil.
  • sowl obsoleteTo soil or stain; to dirty.
  • uggle UK, dialectalTo make dirty.

verbTo tarnish something, especially someone's reputation.

  • debase
  • libelTo defame (someone), especially in a manner that meets the legal definition of libel.
  • slanderTo utter a slanderous statement about; baselessly speak ill of; to wrong.
  • assassinate figurativelyTo harm, ruin, or defame severely or destroy by treachery, slander, libel, or obscure attack.
  • asperseTo falsely or maliciously charge someone.
  • backbiteTo make spiteful slanderous or defamatory statements about someone.
  • badmouthTo criticize or malign, especially unfairly or spitefully.
  • blazeTo disclose; bewray; defame.
  • blemishTo tarnish (reputation, character, etc.); to defame.
  • calumniateTo levy a false charge against, especially of a vague offense, with the intent to damage someone's reputation or...
  • calumnyTo make false accusations or levy false charges against a person with the intent to tarnish that person's reputation or...
  • chat shit slang, vulgarTo untruthfully speak of another in a belittling, deprecative, slighting manner, either in person or in absentia.
  • chat shite Ireland, UK
  • cloudTo blacken; to sully; to stain; to tarnish (reputation or character).
  • defameTo harm or diminish the reputation of; to disparage.
  • demonize figurativelyTo describe or represent as evil or diabolic, usually falsely.
  • denigrateTo criticize so as to besmirch; traduce, disparage or defame.
  • depraveTo speak ill of; to depreciate; to malign; to revile.
  • depreciateTo belittle or disparage.
  • detractTo take credit or reputation from; to derogate; to defame or decry.
  • discredit
  • disgraceTo put someone or something out of favor; to bring shame or ignominy upon.
  • disparage
  • disreputeTo bring into disrepute; to hold in dishonor.
  • diss slangTo put (someone) down, or show disrespect by the use of insulting language or dismissive behaviour.
  • drag through the mudTo tarnish or spoil enough so that something or someone is no longer respectable.
  • infamizeTo make infamous; to defame or smear.
  • lampoonTo satirize or poke fun at.
  • malignTo make defamatory statements about; to slander or traduce.
  • monsterizeTo give someone a very bad reputation; demonize, vilify.
  • muddy figurativelyTo damage (a person or their reputation); to sully, to tarnish.
  • reproachTo disgrace, or bring shame upon.
  • revileTo attack (someone) with abusive language.
  • shit-talk slang, vulgar
  • slag UK, slangTo talk badly about; to malign or denigrate (someone).
  • speak ill ofTo vilify; to defame; to criticize.
  • stab figurativelyTo injure secretly or by malicious falsehood or slander.
  • talk shit slang, vulgarTo untruthfully speak of another in a belittling, deprecative, slighting manner, either in person or in absentia.
  • talk shite UK, slangTo talk badly about something.
  • talk trash US, slangTo untruthfully speak of another in a belittling, deprecative, slighting manner, either in person or in absentia.
  • torch figurativelyTo make damaging claims about (someone or something); to ruin the reputation of (someone or something); to disparage...
  • traduceTo malign a person or entity by making malicious and false or defamatory statements.
  • trash-talk US, slangTo insult a rival in a disparaging way.
  • unflatterTo show or display in a bad light; to portray unfavorably.
  • vilifyTo say defamatory things about someone or something; to speak ill of.
  • villainizeTo represent as a villain.
  • wrongTo slander; to impute evil to unjustly.
  • belibel datedTo libel, slander, calumniate.
  • blame obsoleteTo bring into disrepute.
  • forgab obsoleteTo mock; deride; defame; publish the misdeeds of.
  • forspeak obsoleteTo say bad things about; to slander.
  • scandal obsoleteTo defame; to slander.
  • spatter figuratively, obsoleteTo injure by aspersion; to defame.
  • vilipend dated, formalTo express a disparaging opinion of; to slander or vilify.

Opposite of besmirch

verbTo tarnish something, especially someone's reputation.

  • unbesmirchTo undo the effects of besmirching; to restore the reputation of.

Meaning of besmirch

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

Full definition of besmirch

besmirch in other languages

Questions about synonyms of besmirch

What is another word for besmirch?
Besmirch has 103 synonyms on Word.ws, such as soil, dirty, foul, spot, stain, wrong, sully and smut.
What is the opposite of besmirch?
The opposite of besmirch is unbesmirch.
What does besmirch mean?
Besmirch means to make dirty.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: besmirch (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of besmirch.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/besmirch. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.