smirch
noun
Smirch — the soiling of reputation through accumulated discreditable acts
Definition
An act that brings discredit to the person who does it; "he made a huge blot on his copybook"
In depth
A smirch is an act that brings discredit to the person who does it, closely related to both 'blot' and 'smear,' though somewhat more archaic and literary in tone. The word carries the sense of a reputation soiled or dirtied rather than simply marked, often used in formal or elevated prose discussing honor and disgrace.
Origin
The word likely derives from Old French esmorcher, to wound or hurt, possibly related to French souiller, to soil or dirty. Its association with dirtying or soiling, rather than mere marking, lends the word a slightly more visceral, physical quality, reputation conceived as something that can be literally besmirched, made dirty rather than simply spotted.
Usage examples
"He made a huge smirch on his copybook with that one careless remark, a mark his enemies never let him forget."
"No smirch had ever touched the family's reputation until that single, devastating revelation."
"The old chronicle records the smirch upon his honor with evident, almost gleeful relish."
How to use it
Smirch is somewhat archaic and literary, less common in contemporary everyday usage than 'blot' or 'smear,' best suited to formal, historical, or deliberately elevated prose discussing honor, reputation, and disgrace.
Related concepts
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