smear
v.v. to spread a soft or oily substance across a surface in a messy way. It can also mean trying to damage someone's reputation by telling lies about them.
v. to coat or mark a surface with a viscous or oily substance; by extension, to damage a reputation through false accusations. Often implies a lack of precision or a deliberate intent to defile.
The child managed to smear jam all over the kitchen table.
The candidate's opponents tried to smear his reputation by leaking old, out-of-context emails to the press.
The artist used a palette knife to smear thick layers of oil paint across the canvas, creating a textured effect that blurred the boundaries between light and shadow.
From Middle English smeren, smerien, from Old English smerian, smyrian, smierwan (“to anoint or rub with grease, oil, etc.”), from Proto-West Germanic smirwijan, from Proto-Germanic smirwijaną. Doublet of schmear. Cognate with Saterland Frisian smeere, Dutch smeren, Low German smeren, German schmieren.
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object.
he smeared with mud the wallhe smeared the wall with mudWhen using 'smear' to mean coating a surface, the surface usually acts as the direct object.