BLEMISH

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does blemish mean? 

• BLEMISH (noun)
  The noun BLEMISH has 1 sense:

1. a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body)

  Familiarity information: BLEMISH used as a noun is very rare.

• BLEMISH (verb)
  The verb BLEMISH has 3 senses:

1. mar or spoil the appearance of

2. mar or impair with a flaw

3. add a flaw or blemish to; make imperfect or defective

  Familiarity information: BLEMISH used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BLEMISH (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

blemish; defect; mar

Context example:

a facial blemish

Hypernyms ("blemish" is a kind of...):

appearance; visual aspect (outward or visible aspect of a person or thing)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "blemish"):

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)

check; chip (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)

dent; ding; gouge; nick (an impression in a surface (as made by a blow))

mole (a small congenital pigmented spot on the skin)

mark; scar; scrape; scratch (an indication of damage)

burn; burn mark (a place or area that has been burned (especially on a person's body))

blot; daub; slur; smear; smirch; smudge; spot (a blemish made by dirt)

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)

Derivation:

blemish (add a flaw or blemish to; make imperfect or defective)

blemish (mar or impair with a flaw)

blemish (mar or spoil the appearance of)

• BLEMISH (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they blemish    ... he / she / it blemishes   
Past simple: blemished   
Past participle: blemished   
-ing form: blemishing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Mar or spoil the appearance of

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

blemish; deface; disfigure

Context example:

The vandals disfigured the statue

Hypernyms (to "blemish" is one way to...):

deflower; impair; mar; spoil; vitiate (make imperfect)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "blemish"):

mangle; maul (injure badly by beating)

mark; pit; pock; scar (mark with a scar)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

blemish (a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Mar or impair with a flaw

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

blemish; spot

Context example:

her face was blemished

Hypernyms (to "blemish" is one way to...):

begrime; bemire; colly; dirty; grime; soil (make soiled, filthy, or dirty)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

blemish (a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Add a flaw or blemish to; make imperfect or defective

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

blemish; flaw

Hypernyms (to "blemish" is one way to...):

damage (inflict damage upon)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

blemish (a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body))

 Context examples 

Unlike the tiny, sunspot blemishes on our middle-aged sun, starspots can be gargantuan in stars as young as those in the Pleiades because stellar youth is associated with greater turbulence and magnetic activity.

(Kepler Watches Stellar Dancers in the Pleiades Cluster, NASA)

He is the least suspicious of mankind; and whether that's a merit, or whether it's a blemish, it deserves consideration in all dealings with the Doctor, great or small.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

But once get used to these slight blemishes and nothing could be more complete, for good sense and good taste had presided over the furnishing, and the result was highly satisfactory.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Mr. Darcy, who never looks at any woman but to see a blemish, and who probably never looked at you in his life!

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

It was very pretty then, but to me it is much prettier now, for in this seeming blemishes I read a little history.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)