Choose most suitable words between smear, smudge, smut, and smirch

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This is a vocabulary test of my doctoral examination. To find only one suitable answer from A, B, C, D.

I looked strange, not to say dangerous, hatless, dew-soaked, ________ with yellow mud, and holding, as if it were a baby or a bomb, a little tin pail of sand.

A. smeared

B. smudged

C. smutted

D. smirched

Well, I think all these words can be the answer, as I checked in the Longman dictionary that they all, more or less, have the same meaning of 'stained' or 'polluted' (with/by dirt)

Does anyone have better ideas?

word-usage word-choice

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edited 24 mins ago

ColleenV♦

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asked 2 hours ago

Dave Hwang

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up vote
2
down vote

favorite

This is a vocabulary test of my doctoral examination. To find only one suitable answer from A, B, C, D.

I looked strange, not to say dangerous, hatless, dew-soaked, ________ with yellow mud, and holding, as if it were a baby or a bomb, a little tin pail of sand.

A. smeared

B. smudged

C. smutted

D. smirched

Well, I think all these words can be the answer, as I checked in the Longman dictionary that they all, more or less, have the same meaning of 'stained' or 'polluted' (with/by dirt)

Does anyone have better ideas?

word-usage word-choice

share|improve this question

edited 24 mins ago

ColleenV♦

10.3k53159

asked 2 hours ago

Dave Hwang

204

add a comment | 

up vote
2
down vote

favorite

up vote
2
down vote

favorite

This is a vocabulary test of my doctoral examination. To find only one suitable answer from A, B, C, D.

I looked strange, not to say dangerous, hatless, dew-soaked, ________ with yellow mud, and holding, as if it were a baby or a bomb, a little tin pail of sand.

A. smeared

B. smudged

C. smutted

D. smirched

Well, I think all these words can be the answer, as I checked in the Longman dictionary that they all, more or less, have the same meaning of 'stained' or 'polluted' (with/by dirt)

Does anyone have better ideas?

word-usage word-choice

share|improve this question

edited 24 mins ago

ColleenV♦

10.3k53159

asked 2 hours ago

Dave Hwang

204

This is a vocabulary test of my doctoral examination. To find only one suitable answer from A, B, C, D.

I looked strange, not to say dangerous, hatless, dew-soaked, ________ with yellow mud, and holding, as if it were a baby or a bomb, a little tin pail of sand.

A. smeared

B. smudged

C. smutted

D. smirched

Well, I think all these words can be the answer, as I checked in the Longman dictionary that they all, more or less, have the same meaning of 'stained' or 'polluted' (with/by dirt)

Does anyone have better ideas?

word-usage word-choice

word-usage word-choice

share|improve this question

edited 24 mins ago

ColleenV♦

10.3k53159

asked 2 hours ago

Dave Hwang

204

share|improve this question

edited 24 mins ago

ColleenV♦

10.3k53159

asked 2 hours ago

Dave Hwang

204

share|improve this question

share|improve this question

edited 24 mins ago

ColleenV♦

10.3k53159

edited 24 mins ago

ColleenV♦

10.3k53159

edited 24 mins ago

ColleenV♦

10.3k53159

10.3k53159

asked 2 hours ago

Dave Hwang

204

asked 2 hours ago

Dave Hwang

204

asked 2 hours ago

Dave Hwang

204

204

add a comment | 

add a comment | 

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

up vote
4
down vote



accepted

In contemporary English, a smudge is a blur or distortion of a substance which is usually already present on the surface, and the verb to smudge means to create a smudge:

When he tried to erase the word in the crossword puzzle, he smudged the page.

The verb to smear is usually to apply a substance to a surface in an imprecise or careless manner, or to wipe a substance on a surface such that it coats the surface in a blotchy and uneven manner:

He smeared his forehead with sun-block ointment and rubbed it in.

He smeared the mustard on his tie when he tried to wipe it off with a napkin.

When it drove through the mud puddle, the car splashed muddy water onto his trousers, and when he tried to wipe it off, his trousers became smeared with mud.

The verb to smut usually involves the application of soot or dark oily smoke. It is not really used nowadays to refer to a wide variety of grimy substances.

And the verb to smirch means to soil or to make something dirty, but it is most often used in a figurative sense, as in to "smirch someone's good name or reputation".

share|improve this answer

answered 54 mins ago

Tᴚoɯɐuo

94.6k671158

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Thanks. it's a great answer. So which do you think is the best choice? With your answer, I will be swaggering between (C) or (D).
  – Dave Hwang
  24 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @DaveHwang I would choose "smeared" because we often smear mud on ourselves accidentally when we are working hard in dirty conditions. From this article: truewestmagazine.com/bob-lemmons-hearding-with-the-wind "Rain-soaked, hair smeared with mud and sagebrush, renowned mustanger Bob Lemmons used the herd’s fear of an approaching storm to drive the leaderless mares and colts into a down-range holding pen..." Smudged would probably work as well, although I think of smudges as being drier and smears being wetter.
  – ColleenV♦
  19 mins ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @DaveHwang You can google the sentence and find out the correct word straight from the book's mouth. Further, swagger isn't typically used (figuratively or literally) the way you did; I don't know if that was a lapsus or an auto-lapsus, so please consult a dictionary to see how it's usually used.
  – userr2684291
  13 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

active

oldest

votes

active

oldest

votes

up vote
4
down vote



accepted

In contemporary English, a smudge is a blur or distortion of a substance which is usually already present on the surface, and the verb to smudge means to create a smudge:

When he tried to erase the word in the crossword puzzle, he smudged the page.

The verb to smear is usually to apply a substance to a surface in an imprecise or careless manner, or to wipe a substance on a surface such that it coats the surface in a blotchy and uneven manner:

He smeared his forehead with sun-block ointment and rubbed it in.

He smeared the mustard on his tie when he tried to wipe it off with a napkin.

When it drove through the mud puddle, the car splashed muddy water onto his trousers, and when he tried to wipe it off, his trousers became smeared with mud.

The verb to smut usually involves the application of soot or dark oily smoke. It is not really used nowadays to refer to a wide variety of grimy substances.

And the verb to smirch means to soil or to make something dirty, but it is most often used in a figurative sense, as in to "smirch someone's good name or reputation".

share|improve this answer

answered 54 mins ago

Tᴚoɯɐuo

94.6k671158

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Thanks. it's a great answer. So which do you think is the best choice? With your answer, I will be swaggering between (C) or (D).
  – Dave Hwang
  24 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @DaveHwang I would choose "smeared" because we often smear mud on ourselves accidentally when we are working hard in dirty conditions. From this article: truewestmagazine.com/bob-lemmons-hearding-with-the-wind "Rain-soaked, hair smeared with mud and sagebrush, renowned mustanger Bob Lemmons used the herd’s fear of an approaching storm to drive the leaderless mares and colts into a down-range holding pen..." Smudged would probably work as well, although I think of smudges as being drier and smears being wetter.
  – ColleenV♦
  19 mins ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @DaveHwang You can google the sentence and find out the correct word straight from the book's mouth. Further, swagger isn't typically used (figuratively or literally) the way you did; I don't know if that was a lapsus or an auto-lapsus, so please consult a dictionary to see how it's usually used.
  – userr2684291
  13 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
4
down vote



accepted

In contemporary English, a smudge is a blur or distortion of a substance which is usually already present on the surface, and the verb to smudge means to create a smudge:

When he tried to erase the word in the crossword puzzle, he smudged the page.

The verb to smear is usually to apply a substance to a surface in an imprecise or careless manner, or to wipe a substance on a surface such that it coats the surface in a blotchy and uneven manner:

He smeared his forehead with sun-block ointment and rubbed it in.

He smeared the mustard on his tie when he tried to wipe it off with a napkin.

When it drove through the mud puddle, the car splashed muddy water onto his trousers, and when he tried to wipe it off, his trousers became smeared with mud.

The verb to smut usually involves the application of soot or dark oily smoke. It is not really used nowadays to refer to a wide variety of grimy substances.

And the verb to smirch means to soil or to make something dirty, but it is most often used in a figurative sense, as in to "smirch someone's good name or reputation".

share|improve this answer

answered 54 mins ago

Tᴚoɯɐuo

94.6k671158

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Thanks. it's a great answer. So which do you think is the best choice? With your answer, I will be swaggering between (C) or (D).
  – Dave Hwang
  24 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @DaveHwang I would choose "smeared" because we often smear mud on ourselves accidentally when we are working hard in dirty conditions. From this article: truewestmagazine.com/bob-lemmons-hearding-with-the-wind "Rain-soaked, hair smeared with mud and sagebrush, renowned mustanger Bob Lemmons used the herd’s fear of an approaching storm to drive the leaderless mares and colts into a down-range holding pen..." Smudged would probably work as well, although I think of smudges as being drier and smears being wetter.
  – ColleenV♦
  19 mins ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @DaveHwang You can google the sentence and find out the correct word straight from the book's mouth. Further, swagger isn't typically used (figuratively or literally) the way you did; I don't know if that was a lapsus or an auto-lapsus, so please consult a dictionary to see how it's usually used.
  – userr2684291
  13 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
4
down vote



accepted

up vote
4
down vote



accepted

In contemporary English, a smudge is a blur or distortion of a substance which is usually already present on the surface, and the verb to smudge means to create a smudge:

When he tried to erase the word in the crossword puzzle, he smudged the page.

The verb to smear is usually to apply a substance to a surface in an imprecise or careless manner, or to wipe a substance on a surface such that it coats the surface in a blotchy and uneven manner:

He smeared his forehead with sun-block ointment and rubbed it in.

He smeared the mustard on his tie when he tried to wipe it off with a napkin.

When it drove through the mud puddle, the car splashed muddy water onto his trousers, and when he tried to wipe it off, his trousers became smeared with mud.

The verb to smut usually involves the application of soot or dark oily smoke. It is not really used nowadays to refer to a wide variety of grimy substances.

And the verb to smirch means to soil or to make something dirty, but it is most often used in a figurative sense, as in to "smirch someone's good name or reputation".

share|improve this answer

answered 54 mins ago

Tᴚoɯɐuo

94.6k671158

In contemporary English, a smudge is a blur or distortion of a substance which is usually already present on the surface, and the verb to smudge means to create a smudge:

When he tried to erase the word in the crossword puzzle, he smudged the page.

The verb to smear is usually to apply a substance to a surface in an imprecise or careless manner, or to wipe a substance on a surface such that it coats the surface in a blotchy and uneven manner:

He smeared his forehead with sun-block ointment and rubbed it in.

He smeared the mustard on his tie when he tried to wipe it off with a napkin.

When it drove through the mud puddle, the car splashed muddy water onto his trousers, and when he tried to wipe it off, his trousers became smeared with mud.

The verb to smut usually involves the application of soot or dark oily smoke. It is not really used nowadays to refer to a wide variety of grimy substances.

And the verb to smirch means to soil or to make something dirty, but it is most often used in a figurative sense, as in to "smirch someone's good name or reputation".

share|improve this answer

answered 54 mins ago

Tᴚoɯɐuo

94.6k671158

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered 54 mins ago

Tᴚoɯɐuo

94.6k671158

answered 54 mins ago

Tᴚoɯɐuo

94.6k671158

answered 54 mins ago

Tᴚoɯɐuo

94.6k671158

94.6k671158

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Thanks. it's a great answer. So which do you think is the best choice? With your answer, I will be swaggering between (C) or (D).
  – Dave Hwang
  24 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @DaveHwang I would choose "smeared" because we often smear mud on ourselves accidentally when we are working hard in dirty conditions. From this article: truewestmagazine.com/bob-lemmons-hearding-with-the-wind "Rain-soaked, hair smeared with mud and sagebrush, renowned mustanger Bob Lemmons used the herd’s fear of an approaching storm to drive the leaderless mares and colts into a down-range holding pen..." Smudged would probably work as well, although I think of smudges as being drier and smears being wetter.
  – ColleenV♦
  19 mins ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @DaveHwang You can google the sentence and find out the correct word straight from the book's mouth. Further, swagger isn't typically used (figuratively or literally) the way you did; I don't know if that was a lapsus or an auto-lapsus, so please consult a dictionary to see how it's usually used.
  – userr2684291
  13 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Thanks. it's a great answer. So which do you think is the best choice? With your answer, I will be swaggering between (C) or (D).
  – Dave Hwang
  24 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  2
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @DaveHwang I would choose "smeared" because we often smear mud on ourselves accidentally when we are working hard in dirty conditions. From this article: truewestmagazine.com/bob-lemmons-hearding-with-the-wind "Rain-soaked, hair smeared with mud and sagebrush, renowned mustanger Bob Lemmons used the herd’s fear of an approaching storm to drive the leaderless mares and colts into a down-range holding pen..." Smudged would probably work as well, although I think of smudges as being drier and smears being wetter.
  – ColleenV♦
  19 mins ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @DaveHwang You can google the sentence and find out the correct word straight from the book's mouth. Further, swagger isn't typically used (figuratively or literally) the way you did; I don't know if that was a lapsus or an auto-lapsus, so please consult a dictionary to see how it's usually used.
  – userr2684291
  13 mins ago
  

  
  
  
  

Thanks. it's a great answer. So which do you think is the best choice? With your answer, I will be swaggering between (C) or (D).
– Dave Hwang
24 mins ago

Thanks. it's a great answer. So which do you think is the best choice? With your answer, I will be swaggering between (C) or (D).
– Dave Hwang
24 mins ago

2

2

@DaveHwang I would choose "smeared" because we often smear mud on ourselves accidentally when we are working hard in dirty conditions. From this article: truewestmagazine.com/bob-lemmons-hearding-with-the-wind "Rain-soaked, hair smeared with mud and sagebrush, renowned mustanger Bob Lemmons used the herd’s fear of an approaching storm to drive the leaderless mares and colts into a down-range holding pen..." Smudged would probably work as well, although I think of smudges as being drier and smears being wetter.
– ColleenV♦
19 mins ago

@DaveHwang I would choose "smeared" because we often smear mud on ourselves accidentally when we are working hard in dirty conditions. From this article: truewestmagazine.com/bob-lemmons-hearding-with-the-wind "Rain-soaked, hair smeared with mud and sagebrush, renowned mustanger Bob Lemmons used the herd’s fear of an approaching storm to drive the leaderless mares and colts into a down-range holding pen..." Smudged would probably work as well, although I think of smudges as being drier and smears being wetter.
– ColleenV♦
19 mins ago

@DaveHwang You can google the sentence and find out the correct word straight from the book's mouth. Further, swagger isn't typically used (figuratively or literally) the way you did; I don't know if that was a lapsus or an auto-lapsus, so please consult a dictionary to see how it's usually used.
– userr2684291
13 mins ago

@DaveHwang You can google the sentence and find out the correct word straight from the book's mouth. Further, swagger isn't typically used (figuratively or literally) the way you did; I don't know if that was a lapsus or an auto-lapsus, so please consult a dictionary to see how it's usually used.
– userr2684291
13 mins ago

add a comment | 

 

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