Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. To mar or impair by a flaw.
- n. An imperfection that mars or impairs; a flaw or defect.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To damage or impair (especially something that is well formed, or in other respects excellent); mar or make defective; destroy the perfection of; deface; sully.
- To impair morally; tarnish, as reputation or character; defame; stain: as, to blemish one's fair fame.
- n. A defect, flaw, or imperfection; something that mars beauty, completeness, or perfection.
- n. A moral defect or injury; reproach; disgrace; that which impairs reputation; imputation.
Wiktionary
- n. A small flaw which spoils the appearance of something.
- n. A moral defect.
- v. Spoil the appearance of
GNU Webster's 1913
- v. To mark with deformity; to injure or impair, as anything which is well formed, or excellent; to mar, or make defective, either the body or mind.
- v. To tarnish, as reputation or character; to defame.
- n. Any mark of deformity or injury, whether physical or moral; anything that diminishes beauty, or renders imperfect that which is otherwise well formed; that which impairs reputation.
WordNet 3.0
- v. mar or spoil the appearance of
- n. a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body)
- v. add a flaw or blemish to; make imperfect or defective
- v. mar or impair with a flaw
Etymologies
- Middle English blemisshen, from Old French blesmir, blemir, blemiss-, to make pale, of Germanic origin; see bhel-1 in Indo-European roots.
Examples
“Hes a very aggressive player whose only blemish is that hes not a great skater.”
“It is being described as a blemish on Egypt and Egyptians.”
“As the Star Tribune's Emily Johns reported last week, "The state's vexing achievement gap has become a long-term blemish on an otherwise good reputation for educational performance.”
“Gaudi’s blemish is a symptom of the Disneyfication of Christianity, as I told a girl, persuading but failing to impress.”
“Well that's a malignant tumor calling a blemish melanoma.”
“Her minuteness of detail has also been found fault with; but even where it produces, at the time, a degree of tediousness, we know not whether that can justly be reckoned a blemish, which is absolutely essential to”
“They were both of that rich dark reddish roan, and wonderfully alike, the differences being in their legs; one being nearly black in this important part of its person, the other having what most purchasers would call the blemish of four white legs -- it being a canon amongst the wise in horseflesh that”
“Sir Jasper brought a reassuring account of the poor little steed, which would be usable again after a short rest, and the blemish was the less important as there was no intention of selling him.”
“January 11th, 2010 RIHANNA has lashed out at vicious internet gossip which suggested ex-boyfriend CHRIS BROWN beat her after she contracted a cold sore on her lip - angrily insisting the blemish is a scar.”
Gaea Times (by Simple Thoughts) Breaking News and incisive views 24/7
“Chris Brown beat her after she contracted a cold sore on her lip - angrily insisting the blemish is a scar.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘blemish’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4084 more...
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Words that end in "-ish" but aren't adjectives
embellish, flourish, garnish, rubbish, nourish, admonish, punish, finish, blemish, abolish, accomplish, parish and 41 more...
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Mark
scrawl, blemish, spot, mar, damage, speckle, bespatter, splash, smirch, stain, tattoo, impress and 20 more...
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