blemish

1 of 2

verb

blem·​ish ˈble-mish 

blemished; blemishing; blemishes

transitive verb

: to spoil by a flaw

blemish

2 of 2

noun

: a noticeable imperfection

especially : one that seriously impairs appearance

Synonyms

Verb

• darken
• mar
• poison
• spoil
• stain
• taint
• tarnish
• touch
• vitiate

Noun

• blight
• blotch
• defect
• deformity
• disfigurement
• excrescence
• excrescency
• fault
• flaw
• imperfection
• mar
• mark
• pockmark
• scar

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

Verb

When blooms do open, petals are blemished, with silvery-white or brown edges. —Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2025

Results have been strong since last summer, with only a draw at Wembley against England and a defeat against Japan in the SheBelieves Cup blemishing Hayes’ U.S. record. —Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025

Noun

The admonishment is the latest blemish on Shore’s record, bringing to a close the tumultuous final year of what had been a long and distinguished career as an attorney and judge. —Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025

That was the lone blemish on another good outing by Antonio Senzatela, who scattered 10 hits across 5 1/3 innings, with three strikeouts and no walks. —Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2025

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

Rhymes for blemish

• flemish

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