What does blemished mean?
"Blemished" describes something that bears a flaw or imperfection that detracts from its appearance, quality, or standing. Most often applied to physical surfaces—such as blemished skin, fruit, paintwork, or polished metal—it also extends figuratively to reputations, records, and histories that have been marred by mistakes or wrongdoing. The word derives from "blemish," a noun and verb rooted in Old French, and functions as both the past participle of the verb "to blemish" and as an independent adjective in its own right. Its connotation is consistently negative but typically mild: a blemished thing retains its essential worth but falls short of perfection. This makes it useful in contexts where precision matters—collectors distinguishing flawless coins from blemished ones, dermatologists describing skin conditions, or writers assessing someone's checkered career. Common collocations include "blemished record," "blemished skin," and "blemished reputation."
Marked by a flaw or imperfection, whether physical or figurative.
"The dealer refused to sell the blemished painting at full price."
Often paired with concrete nouns (skin, fruit, surfaces) but equally idiomatic with abstract nouns like reputation or record.
Past tense and past participle of "blemish": to have marred or spoiled something with a flaw or stain.
"Years of hard living had blemished his once-spotless reputation."
A single blemish can drop a coin's value from thousands of dollars to pocket change — collectors call it the difference between mint state and merely 'blemished'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of blemished
"Blemished" comes from "blemish," which entered English in the late Middle Ages from Old French "blesmir," meaning to injure or make pale. The Old French term's deeper origins are debated, possibly tracing to Germanic roots, so its earliest ancestry cannot be stated with certainty. In English, "blemish" first referred to physical injury or disfigurement before broadening to cover any moral or figurative stain. The adjective "blemished" developed naturally as the past participle of the verb form, later standing alone as a descriptive word in its own right.
Related word forms
How blemished is actually used
"Blemished" carries a mildly negative connotation and is used in both literal (physical marks on skin, fruit, surfaces) and figurative (reputation, record) contexts. It is standard register, common in everyday speech and formal writing alike.
Easily confused with blemished
"Blemish" is the noun or verb referring to the mark or flaw itself (or the act of marring), while "blemished" is the adjective describing something that bears such a flaw.
"Banished" means forced out or exiled, whereas "blemished" means marked by a physical or figurative flaw.