smear
/smɪə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /smɪr/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsmir/ (ame, mw) · /smɪər/ (bre, ipa)
smear — verb
- smearpresent simple I / you / we / they
- smearshe / she / it
- smearedpast simple
- smearing-ing form
1. to take a soft or thick substance and push it across the surface of something so
to take a soft or thick substance and push it across the surface of something so that it forms a thin layer
Amara smeared sun cream onto her son's shoulders before they left for the beach.
smear + substance + onto + body part
The children smeared butter across the kitchen table while their father was on the phone.
Dmitri smeared a thin coat of paint over the old wooden chair.
Smear the glue evenly over the back of the photograph before pressing it down.
The nurse smeared a clear gel onto Yuki's arm before the ultrasound scan.
文法句型
smear + something + on/onto/over/across + something
smear + something + with + something
用法筆記
Smear implies a rougher or more casual action than spread. Typical substances include butter, cream, paint, glue, grease, and jam.
常見錯誤
2. to say or write false and damaging things about someone in public, trying to mak
to say or write false and damaging things about someone in public, trying to make other people think badly of them
The newspaper smeared the minister with lies about his private life.
Esther believed her rival was trying to smear her before the big vote.
smear + someone (direct object)
Oluwaseun was smeared as a thief by the local paper after the case collapsed.
The company ran a cruel campaign to smear the scientist who raised safety concerns.
Hongwei refused to smear his former boss even though the lawyers wanted him to.
文法句型
smear + someone
smear + someone + as + something
用法筆記
Frequently passive. Common in political and professional contexts. The phrase 'smear campaign' is especially frequent with this sense.
常見錯誤
3. to make writing, a drawing, or a surface dirty or hard to read by rubbing agains
to make writing, a drawing, or a surface dirty or hard to read by rubbing against it while it is still wet
Zainab smeared the chalk drawing with her sleeve as she reached across the board.
The ink smeared when Kwame closed the notebook before the page had dried.
intransitive: ink + smeared (no object needed)
Be careful not to smear the address while the ink is still wet.
Fatima's tears smeared the letter until she could barely read the words.
The label smeared in the rain, and no one could tell what the bottle contained.
文法句型
smear + something
something + smears
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (SPREAD ON SURFACE): sense 3 is about accidentally making something unclear by contact, not deliberately covering a surface. The subject can be the thing that becomes smeared (intransitive) or the person who causes it (transitive).
常見錯誤
smear — noun
- smearsingular
- smearsplural
1. a dirty or greasy mark left on a surface after a soft or thick substance has bee
a dirty or greasy mark left on a surface after a soft or thick substance has been spread across it
There was a smear of jam across the front of Camilla's white school shirt.
smear of + substance + on + clothing
Hakim wiped a smear of grease from his cheek after fixing the engine.
The window had greasy smears where someone had pressed their hands against the glass.
A dark smear of paint ran down the wall where the brush had slipped.
Ingrid noticed a lipstick smear on her husband's collar and demanded an explanation.
2. a spoken or written attack on someone's character, using statements that are not
a spoken or written attack on someone's character, using statements that are not true, meant to damage their reputation
The candidate called the article a smear and said he would take the paper to court.
a smear (countable: an act of defamation)
Søren hired a lawyer to fight the smear that he had stolen money from the charity.
smear + that-clause specifying the accusation
The whole investigation turned out to be a political smear with no basis in truth.
Camilla refused to take part in the smear against her colleague and left the meeting.
The smear spread quickly on social media before anyone had checked the facts.
- defamation
the formal legal term; covers both slander and libel
- slander
spoken false statement that damages a reputation
- libel
written or published false statement that damages a reputation
用法筆記
The phrase 'smear campaign' is more common than the bare noun for this sense. Often modified by 'political' — a 'political smear.'
3. a medical screening in which a small sample of cells is taken from the cervix an
a medical screening in which a small sample of cells is taken from the cervix and examined under a microscope to check for early signs of cancer
The nurse told Zainab her smear result was normal and no further tests were needed.
Doctors recommend that women get a smear every three years from the age of twenty-five.
get/have a smear (book a medical appointment)
Fatima was nervous before her first smear, but it was over in under a minute.
The lab lost Amara's smear sample and she had to book a new appointment.
Regular smear tests have saved thousands of lives by catching early signs of cervical cancer.
- Pap smear
the full medical term, common in both British and American English
- cervical screening
the formal name for the programme of regular testing
用法筆記
Also called a 'smear test', 'cervical smear', or 'Pap smear'. In everyday speech, 'smear' alone is enough when the medical context is clear. Primarily British English; US English prefers 'Pap smear' or 'Pap test'.