Besmutted

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. marked by a contaminated or sullied condition that implies a diminished state of cleanliness or purity, often reflecting negatively on reputation or moral standing
2. Covered with spots or marks of dirt that lessen its cleanliness or brightness
3. Having a surface that is blurred or discolored from smudge or unclean substances

Etymology: Long before "smut" meant indecent material, it meant soot. The noun has long described a black speck of grime, like the mark a chimney leaves on a clean collar. Farmers also named a grain disease after it, because infected ears look as though they have been dusted with soot. The prefix "be-" does much of the work in the verb. In English it forms verbs meaning "all over" or "thoroughly," as in "bedaub" and "besmear," both of which describe covering a surface completely. Attached to "smut," it describes something marked all over with soot or dirt, and the past participle "besmutted" presents the result: the surface now bears the marks.

Synonyms: sullied, tainted, defiled, stained, blemished

Antonyms: clean, pure, unsullied, spotless, immaculate