Synonyms for smudge

Most common

smear · darken · smooch · splotch · smoke · fumigate

All synonyms

Verb

Noun

Definitions

1. v. 1

   To soil or smear with dirt.

2. n. 1

   A blemish or smear, especially a dark or sooty one.

   There was a smudge on the paper.

Related words

Word family

smudgeproof smudgy

Phrases

smudge pot smudge bowl smudge cell

Forms

Plural

smudges → daubs…

Past participle

smudged
e.g. smudged → smeared, stained, blotted, splotched…

Example sentences

• smear Will I be tested for chlamydia during my smear test?
• darken The jealousy is starting to darken Tom's mind.
• smooch Give me a big smooch, and we won't talk about it anymore.
• splotch You call this art? It's just a splotch of paint on a canvas!
• smoke Look at that smoke. That building must be on fire.
• fumigate We had to fumigate our house to get rid of termites.

Popularity over time

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters

spot¹, soil¹, foul¹, slur¹, blot¹, smut¹, daub¹

5 letters

smoke¹, dirty², stain¹, smear¹, sully²

6 letters

darken², defile, smooch¹, befoul, smirch, smouch

7 letters

tarnish², spatter², blacken², splotch, begrime, besmear

8 letters

besmirch, fumigate³

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (dirty² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français

maculer