Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,513,746,968 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

blemish

   Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.07 sec.
blem·ish  (blmsh)
tr.v. blem·ished, blem·ish·ing, blem·ish·es
To mar or impair by a flaw.
n.
An imperfection that mars or impairs; a flaw or defect.

[Middle English blemisshen, from Old French blesmir, blemir, blemiss-, to make pale, of Germanic origin; see bhel-1 in Indo-European roots.]

blemish·er n.
Synonyms: blemish, imperfection, fault, defect, flaw1
These nouns denote loss or absence of perfection. A blemish is something thought to mar the appearance or character of a thing: "Industry in art is a necessitynot a virtueand any evidence of the same, in the production, is a blemish" (James McNeill Whistler).
Imperfection and fault apply more comprehensively to any deficiency or shortcoming: "A true critic ought to dwell rather upon excellencies than imperfections" (Joseph Addison). "Each of us would point out to the other her most serious faults, and thereby help her to remedy them" (Anna Howard Shaw).
Defect denotes a serious functional or structural shortcoming: "Ill breeding . . . is not a single defect, it is the result of many" (Henry Fielding).
Flaw refers to an often small but always fundamental weakness: Experiments revealed a very basic flaw in the theory.

blemish
Noun
a defect; flaw; stain
Verb
to spoil or tarnish [Old French blemir to make pale]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.blemishblemish - a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body); "a facial blemish"
appearance, visual aspect - outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
birthmark, nevus - a blemish on the skin that is formed before birth
chatter mark - a mark made by a chattering tool on the surface of a workpiece
chip, check - a mark left after a small piece has been chopped or broken off of something
crack - a blemish resulting from a break without complete separation of the parts; "there was a crack in the mirror"
gouge, nick, ding, dent - an impression in a surface (as made by a blow)
mole - a small congenital pigmented spot on the skin
scar, scrape, scratch, mark - an indication of damage
burn mark, burn - a place or area that has been burned (especially on a person's body)
blot, smirch, smudge, daub, slur, smear, spot - a blemish made by dirt; "he had a smudge on his cheek"
stigma - a skin lesion that is a diagnostic sign of some disease
verruca, wart - (pathology) a firm abnormal elevated blemish on the skin; caused by a virus
milium, whitehead - a small whitish lump in the skin due to a clogged sebaceous gland
blackhead, comedo - a black-tipped plug clogging a pore of the skin
Verb1.blemish - mar or spoil the appearance of; "scars defaced her cheeks"; "The vandals disfigured the statue"
mar, deflower, impair, vitiate, spoil - make imperfect; "nothing marred her beauty"
mangle, maul - injure badly by beating
pock, scar, pit, mark - mark with a scar; "The skin disease scarred his face permanently"
2.blemish - mar or impair with a flaw; "her face was blemished"
begrime, bemire, colly, dirty, grime, soil - make soiled, filthy, or dirty; "don't soil your clothes when you play outside!"
3.blemish - add a flaw or blemish to; make imperfect or defective
damage - inflict damage upon; "The snow damaged the roof"; "She damaged the car when she hit the tree"

blemish
Translations
blemish [ˈblɛmɪʃ] nmancha, tacha

blemish [ˈblɛmɪʃ] ndéfaut m;
(on reputation) → tache f

blemish [ˈblɛmɪʃ] nMakel m

blemish [ˈblɛmɪʃ] nmacchia

blemish
n blemish [ˈblemiʃ]
a stain, mark or fault a blemish on an apple. vlek يُلَطِّخُ недостатък, дефект, петно skvrna, vada, kaz plet der Makel σημάδι, ψεγάδι imperfección, mancha, maca plekk, viga لک؛ عیب tahra, vika défaut, tache כֶּתֶם कलंक, दोष, त्रुटि nedostatak hiba cacat blettur; galli difetto, macchia きず dėmė defekts; vaina cacat vlek flekk, merke; lyte, plett skaza mancha defect; pată пятно; изъян škvrna; chyba pega, napaka mana fläck ตำหนิ leke, kusur 瑕疵 пляма داغ ، نشان thiếu sót
v
to spoil. misvorm, skend, vlek يُتْلِفُ، يُلَوِّثُ повреждам poskvrnit, pokazit, poškodit plette verunstalten καταστρέφω, κηλιδώνω estropear rikkuma معیوب کردن tahrata, pilata gâter לְהַכתִים बरबाद करना nagrditi elront rusak skemma guastare 傷つける 흠을 내다 sugadinti sabojāt mencemar bevlekken vansire, skjemme szpecić estragar a strica; a dezonora портить; пятнать poškvrniť, zohyzdiť pokvariti pokvariti fläcka, skämma ทำให้มีตำหนิ lekelemek 玷污 псувати, плямувати شکل بگاڑنا làm hỏng 玷污


How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
There had been, he admitted, a trivial blemish or so in its rate of progress, but this was exaggerated and had been entirely owing to the "parsimony of the public," which guilty public, it appeared, had been until lately bent in the most determined manner on by no means enlarging the number of Chancery judges appointed--I believe by Richard the Second, but any other king will do as well.
Nevertheless, Leviathan is of so mighty a magnitude, all his proportions are so stately, that the same deficiency which in the sculptured Jove were hideous, in him is no blemish at all.
The next day after the farrier had examined my wounds, he said he hoped the joint was not injured; and if so, I should not be spoiled for work, but I should never lose the blemish.
 
Dictionary/thesaurus browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Translations
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.