besmirch
verb
- to cause harm or damage to the purity, luster, or beauty of (something) : sully, soil
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /bɪˈsmɜːtʃ/ / /bɪˈsmɝːt͡ʃ/
verb
Etymology: From Middle English besmorchen (attested in besmorchid). Compare Middle English bismotered (“bespattered, soiled”). By surface analysis, be- + smirch.
- To make dirty.
- To tarnish something, especially someone's reputation.
“The newspaper was on a campaign to besmirch the actor.”
“Our gayness and our gilt are all besmirch'd With rainy marching in the painful field”