Blemish — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈble-mish/ blem·ish

Meaning & Definition of Blemish

Blemish (verb)

  1. to spoil by a flaw

Blemish (noun)

  1. a noticeable imperfection; especially, one that seriously impairs appearance

Blemish (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing

    "the first mirror had a blemish on its surface, so we took it back to the store"

    similar: blight, blotch, defect, deformity, disfigurement, excrescence, excrescency, fault, flaw, imperfection, mar, mark, pockmark, scar
    related: abnormality, distortion, irregularity, malformation, misshape, bug, glitch, kink, blot, blur, spot, stain, taint, damage, defacement, impairment, injury, failing, weakness
    near: adornment, decoration, embellishment, enhancement, ornament

Blemish (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable

    "a single indiscretion blemished the rabbi's reputation for years"

    similar: darken, mar, poison, spoil, stain, taint, tarnish, touch, vitiate
    related: begrime, besmear, besmirch, blacken, blur, cloud, dirty, discolor, pollute, smear, smirch, smudge, smut, soil, sully, tar, abase, cheapen, debase, degrade, demean, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, foul, lower, shame, sink, bastardize, corrupt, debauch, demoralize, deprave, pervert, subvert, color, distort, twist
    near: cleanse, purify, dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, glorify, hallow, magnify, uplift

  2. to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of

    "a scratch blemished the finish on the car"

    similar: bloody, break, compromise, crab, cripple, cross (up), damage, deface, disfigure, endamage, flaw, harm, hurt, impair, injure, mar, spoil, vitiate
    related: deteriorate, enervate, enfeeble, undermine, weaken, erode, scour, wash out, wear (away), blight, tarnish, dent, ding, dint, botch, gum (up), queer, lacerate, wound, disable, hamstring, lame, maim, mangle, mutilate, torment, torture, annihilate, bang up, bash, batter, clobber, crush, dash, decimate, demolish, desolate, destroy, devastate, do in, pulverize, raze, ruin, scourge, shatter, smash, tear down, total, waste, wipe out, wreck
    opposite: doctor, fix, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair, revamp
    near: cure, heal, help, rectify, rehabilitate, remedy, edit, remodel, revise, ameliorate, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect, refine

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Blemish

The most common words with a similar meaning to Blemish:

blight, blotch, defect, deformity, disfigurement, excrescence, excrescency, fault, flaw, imperfection, mar, mark, pockmark, scar, darken, poison, spoil, stain, taint, tarnish, touch, vitiate, bloody, break, compromise, crab, cripple, cross (up), damage, deface, disfigure, endamage, harm, hurt, impair, injure

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Blemish

Words with the opposite meaning of Blemish:

doctor, fix, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair, revamp

Related Words for Blemish

abnormality, distortion, irregularity, malformation, misshape, bug, glitch, kink, blot, blur, spot, defacement, impairment, injury, failing, weakness, begrime, besmear, besmirch, blacken, cloud, dirty, discolor, pollute, smear, smirch, smudge, smut, soil, sully

Near Antonyms of Blemish

adornment, decoration, embellishment, enhancement, ornament, cleanse, purify, dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, glorify, hallow, magnify, uplift, cure, heal, help, rectify, rehabilitate, remedy, edit, remodel, revise, ameliorate, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate

Word Forms of Blemish

Inflections: blemished, blemishing, blemishes

Origin & Etymology of Blemish

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 blaze

First known use: 14th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Blemish

What does "Blemish" mean?

"Blemish" means to spoil by a flaw. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to spoil by a flaw. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Blemish"?

Other words for "Blemish" include blight, blotch, defect, deformity, disfigurement, excrescence, excrescency and fault. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Blemish" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Blemish"?

There are 138 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Blemish". Common alternatives include blight, blotch, defect, deformity, disfigurement, excrescence, excrescency, fault, flaw and imperfection.

What is the opposite of "Blemish"?

Antonyms of "Blemish" include doctor, fix, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct and renovate. Near antonyms include adornment, decoration, embellishment and enhancement.

How do you use "Blemish" in a sentence?

Examples of "Blemish" in a sentence: "the first mirror had a blemish on its surface, so we took it back to the store"; "a single indiscretion blemished the rabbi's reputation for years"; "a scratch blemished the finish on the car".

Is "Blemish" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Blemish" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Blemish"?

"Blemish" is pronounced /ˈble-mish/ and divided into syllables as blem·ish.

What is the origin of the word "Blemish"?

"Blemish" comes from 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 blaze. First known use: 14th century.