blemished; blemishing; blemishes
: to spoil by a flaw
: a noticeable imperfection
especially
: one that seriously impairs appearance
Synonyms
Examples of blemish in a Sentence
Verb
A series of burn marks blemish the table's surface.
The incident blemished his reputation.
Noun
The cream is supposed to prevent blemishes on the skin.
The table had a few scratches and minor blemishes.
The book fails to mention any of the organization's many blemishes.
The incident was a blemish on his record.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
And, especially in recent decades, the spectacle has been blemished by budget overruns, long-term debts, wasteful infrastructure, displacement and gentrification, political strife and environmental harm.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN, 26 July 2024
Not even the loss of Kyle Bradish could blemish their sheen.
—Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 28 June 2024
Noun
Broken ice cream machines have been such a blemish on McDonald’s reputation that even competitors mock them for it.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 28 Oct. 2024
Any loss is bad in the NFL, but some reveal a team’s blemishes more than others.
—Jay Paris, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for blemish
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English blemisshen, to damage, injure, sully, from Anglo-French blemiss-, stem of blemir, blesmir, from Old French, literally, to make pale by wounding, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German blasros horse with a blaze, Old Norse blesi blaze — more at blaze
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Noun
1535, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of blemish was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near blemish
Cite this Entry
“Blemish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blemish. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
blemish
noun
blem·ish
ˈblem-ish
: a mark that makes something imperfect
blemish
verb
Medical Definition
blemish
noun
blem·ish
ˈblem-ish
: a mark of physical deformity or injury: as
a
: any small mark on the skin (as a pimple or birthmark)
blemishes symptomatic of acne
b
: a defect of an animal (as a horse) that detracts from its appearance but does not interfere with its usefulness
More from Merriam-Webster on blemish
Nglish: Translation of blemish for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of blemish for Arabic Speakers
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