Definition

Adjective: 1. Smeared or blurred, often with dirt or a substance that causes staining: Describes something marked with streaks or patches that obscure its clarity or cleanliness, typically from contact with a greasy, dirty, or wet substance. 2. Lacking clear definition; blurry: Can describe visual impressions, like text or images, that are not sharp or distinct.

Usage and Examples

• Describing physical marks:
  • After working on the car, his hands were smudgy with grease.
  • The child's drawing was charming but smudgy from fingerprints.
• Describing visual clarity:
  • The photocopy was smudgy and difficult to read.
  • Through the smudgy windowpane, the view of the garden was blurred.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "smudgy makeup": Makeup, especially around the eyes, that has become blurred or run.
  • She cried during the movie and ended up with smudgy mascara.
• "smudgy effect": A deliberate artistic or photographic technique to create a soft, blurred appearance.
  • The photographer used a filter to give the portrait a soft, smudgy effect.

Variants and Related Words

• Smudge (n/v): The noun form refers to a dirty mark or blur. The verb means to make such a mark.
  • There's a smudge of ink on the contract. (n)
  • Be careful not to smudge the wet paint. (v)
• Smudginess (n): The state or quality of being smudgy.
  • The smudginess of the text made the document look old and poorly kept.

Synonyms

• Blurred: Lacking sharpness; indistinct in outline.
• Smeared: Spread (a substance) over a surface in a messy way.
• Streaky: Marked with streaks.
• Grimy: Covered with ingrained dirt or soot.

Antonyms

• Clean: Free from dirt, marks, or stains.
• Clear: Easy to perceive, understand, or interpret; sharp in outline.
• Pristine: In its original condition; unspoiled; clean and fresh as if new.

Adjective

1. smeared with something that soils or stains; these words are often used in combination
   • oil-smeared work clothes
   • hostile faces smirched by the grime and rust- Henry Roth
   • ink-smudged fingers