smear

/smɪə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /smɪr/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsmir/ (ame, mw) · /smɪər/ (bre, ipa)

smear — 動詞

  • 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

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

塗抹

將軟質或濃稠物質敷在物體表面

to take a soft or thick substance and push it across the surface of something so that it forms a thin layer

例句

Amara smeared sun cream onto her son's shoulders before they left for the beach.

Amara 在孩子們去海邊之前，替兒子的雙肩塗抹了防曬乳。

smear + substance + onto + body part

The children smeared butter across the kitchen table while their father was on the phone.

孩子們把奶油抹得廚房餐桌到處都是，他們的父親當時正在講電話。

同義詞
  • spread

    more neutral; suggests a neater, more even application

  • daub

    implies a quick, careless application, often of paint or mud

  • plaster

    suggests covering a large area thickly, often with something wet

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

❌I smeared the towel on the sand.
✅I spread the towel on the sand.
💡'Smear' is for soft or sticky substances like butter or paint; use 'spread' for dry flat items such as towels or blankets.

2. to say or write false and damaging things about someone in public, trying to mak

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

抹黑

公開散播不實指控以傷害他人名譽

to say or write false and damaging things about someone in public, trying to make other people think badly of them

例句

The newspaper smeared the minister with lies about his private life.

那家報社用關於部長私生活的謊言來抹黑他。

Esther believed her rival was trying to smear her before the big vote.

Esther 認為她的對手試圖在大選前抹黑她。

smear + someone (direct object)

同義詞
  • defame

    the formal legal term for damaging someone's reputation through false statements

  • slander

    specifically spoken defamation, not written

  • libel

    specifically written or published defamation

  • malign

    emphasises the cruelty of the attack rather than its falsity

反義詞

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

❌He smeared that the mayor was corrupt without any evidence.
✅He smeared the mayor, claiming corruption without any evidence.
💡'Smear' needs a person or group as its direct object, not a that-clause.

3. to make writing, a drawing, or a surface dirty or hard to read by rubbing agains

3.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

弄糊；抹髒

因摩擦而使字跡或圖樣變得模糊不清

to make writing, a drawing, or a surface dirty or hard to read by rubbing against it while it is still wet

例句

Zainab smeared the chalk drawing with her sleeve as she reached across the board.

Zainab 伸手越過黑板時，袖子不小心弄糊了粉筆畫。

The ink smeared when Kwame closed the notebook before the page had dried.

Kwame 在紙張還沒乾之前就闔上筆記本，墨水因此弄糊了。

intransitive: ink + smeared (no object needed)

同義詞
  • smudge

    very close synonym; often specifically refers to a dirty mark from rubbing dry material like pencil or ash

  • blur

    suggests loss of sharpness or clarity, not necessarily involving dirt

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

❌I spilled coffee and smeared the table.
✅I spilled coffee and stained the table.
💡Use 'smear' only when the mark comes from rubbing or spreading a thick substance, not from a thin liquid soaking into a surface.

smear — 名詞