smudge
/smʌdʤ/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A dirty mark or smear: A small area of dirt or another substance that has been spread on a surface, often by accident.
- A blurred or indistinct spot or area: A mark that lacks a clear outline, making something appear unclear or smeared.
- A smoky fire: A fire made to produce dense smoke, traditionally used to drive away insects or protect plants from frost.
Verb:
- To make a dirty mark or smear on something: To spread a substance, making a surface dirty or blurred.
- To become blurred or smeared: To lose clarity, often because something wet or dirty has been rubbed against it.
- To damage or tarnish: To harm a reputation or the appearance of something (less common, formal usage).
Examples
Noun:
- There was a black smudge of grease on his shirt.
- She tried to wipe the smudge off her glasses.
- The gardeners lit a smudge to protect the fruit trees from the cold.
Verb:
- Be careful not to smudge the ink before it dries.
- The child's drawing was smudged where he had rubbed his hand across it.
- The scandal smudged the politician's previously clean record.
Advanced Usage
- "to smudge the lines between": To make the distinction between two things less clear or more ambiguous.
- The artist's work smudges the lines between painting and sculpture.
Variants and Related Words
Smudgy (adj): Covered with or characterized by smudges; blurred.
- The photocopy was smudgy and hard to read.
Smudginess (n): The quality or state of being smudgy.
Synonyms
- Noun: Blot, smear, stain, blur, spot.
- Verb: Blur, smear, stain, daub, sully.
Related Phrasal Verbs
(This word is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions.)
Related Idioms
- "A smudge on one's record/character": A minor fault or blemish that damages a reputation.
- The arrest was a smudge on his otherwise spotless record.
Noun
- a blemish made by dirt
- he had a smudge on his cheek
- a smoky fire to drive away insects
Verb
- make a smudge on; soil by smudging