blemished
[blˈɛmɪʃt] /ˈble-misht How to pronounce blemished (audio)/ (ame, mw) · /ˈblem.ɪʃ/ (bre, ipa) · [blˈɛmɪʃt] /ˈblem.ɪʃ/ (ame, ipa)
blemished — adjective
- blemishedpositive
- more blemishedcomparative
- most blemishedsuperlative
1. showing marks, spots, or small areas of damage that lower the value or appearanc
showing marks, spots, or small areas of damage that lower the value or appearance of something — for example, fruit with bruises, skin with pimples, or a record of past wrongdoing.
Sumin sorted the blemished apples into a separate crate for cider production.
attributive use: a blemished + concrete noun
The supermarket sold blemished tomatoes at half price every Friday evening.
collocation: blemished fruit/vegetables sold at reduced prices
Gabriel worried that his blemished driving record would stop the insurance company from issuing a policy.
After years of treatment, Meera's once blemished skin looked smooth and clear.
The auction house refused the blemished painting, saying the water stains had cut its value in half.
- unblemished
the direct opposite; common in both literal and figurative use
- flawless
stronger; suggests perfection, not just absence of marks
- spotless
literal clean surface; also figurative for a clean record
文法句型
a blemished [noun]
be blemished
用法筆記
Frequently attributive, sitting directly before the noun it describes (a blemished record, blemished fruit). Common subjects are physical objects, skin, or abstract things like reputations and records. Distinguish from 'flawed', which more often refers to internal faults rather than visible surface marks.
常見錯誤
blemished — verb
1. made something less perfect by adding a mark, fault, or harmful detail; the past
made something less perfect by adding a mark, fault, or harmful detail; the past form of 'blemish'.
The hailstorm blemished the surface of every car parked outside the office that morning.
active past tense with a physical cause as subject
One careless comment from Christopher blemished an otherwise excellent speech at the company dinner.
figurative: a small fault spoils a larger achievement
The judge said the bribery scandal had blemished the city council's reputation for honesty.
Years of damp weather had blemished the old wooden panels in the hallway of Greta's farmhouse.
文法句型
[subject] blemished [object]
be blemished by [cause]
用法筆記
This is the past tense and past participle of the verb 'blemish'. Often appears in passive constructions ('was blemished by…') where the cause is named with 'by'. The subject is usually something that introduces a fault — weather, a mistake, a scandal — rather than the agent of the fault.