blur

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

blur, v. t. [Prob. of same origin as blear. See Blear.].

•  To render obscure by making the form or outline of confused and uncertain, as by soiling; to smear; to make indistinct and confused; as, to blur manuscript by handling it while damp; to blur the impression of a woodcut by an excess of ink.  [1913 Webster]

  "But time hath nothing blurred those lines of favor
  Which then he wore."  [1913 Webster]
•  To cause imperfection of vision in; to dim; to darken.  [1913 Webster]

  "Her eyes are blurred with the lightning's glare."  [1913 Webster]
•  To sully; to stain; to blemish, as reputation.  [1913 Webster]

  "Sarcasms may eclipse thine own,
  But can not blur my lost renown."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To spot; blot; disfigure; stain; sully.

blur, n. 

•  That which obscures without effacing; a stain; a blot, as upon paper or other substance.  [1913 Webster]

  "As for those who cleanse blurs with blotted fingers, they make it worse."  [1913 Webster]
•  A dim, confused appearance; indistinctness of vision; as, to see things with a blur; it was all blur.  [1913 Webster]
•  A moral stain or blot.  [1913 Webster]

  "Lest she . . . will with her railing set a great blur on mine honesty and good name."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

blur, v. & n.
--v. (blurred, blurring)
1 tr. & intr. make or become unclear or less distinct.
2 tr. smear; partially efface.
3 tr. make (one's memory, perception, etc.) dim or less clear.
--n. something that appears or sounds indistinct or unclear.

Derivative

blurry adj. (blurrier, blurriest).

Etymology

16th c.: perh. rel. to BLEAR

THESAURUS

blur

aspersion, attaint, badge of infamy, bar sinister, baton, becloud, bedaub, bedim, befog, bend sinister, besmear, besmirch, besmoke, bestain, black eye, black mark, blacken, blear, bleariness, bloodstain, blot, blotch, blur distinctions, blurriness, brand, broad arrow, censure, champain, cloud, cloudiness, conceal, confound, confuse, dab, darken, darkness, daub, defocus, deform, dim, dimness, dirty, discolor, disorder, disparagement, distort, efface, eyesore, faintness, feebleness, film, filminess, fleck, flick, flyspeck, fog, fog up, fogginess, fuzz, fuzziness, half-visibility, haze, haziness, hide, imputation, indefiniteness, indistinctness, indistinguishability, jumble, jumble together, lose resolution, low profile, macula, maculation, macule, mark, mark of Cain, mask, mess up, mist, mistiness, mix, muddle, muddy, obfuscate, obscure, obscurity, odium, onus, overlook distinctions, pale, paleness, patch, pillorying, point champain, reflection, reprimand, reproach, scorch, sear, semivisibility, shadowiness, singe, slubber, slur, smear, smirch, smoke, smouch, smudge, smut, smutch, soft focus, soften, soil, spatter, speck, speckle, splash, splatter, splotch, spot, stain, stigma, stigmatism, stigmatization, stigmatize, taint, tar, tarnish, tumble, uncertainty, unclearness, unform, unplainness, unshape, vague appearance, vagueness, veil, weaken, weakness

ROGET THESAURUS

blur

Uncleanness

VB be unclean, become unclean, rot, putrefy, ferment, fester, rankle, reek, stink, mold, molder, go bad, render unclean, dirt, dirty, daub, blot, blur, smudge, smutch, soil, smoke, tarnish, slaver, spot, smear, smirch, begrease, dabble, drabble, draggle, daggle, spatter, slubber, besmear, bemire, beslime, begrime, befoul, splash, stain, distain, maculate, sully, pollute, defile, debase, contaminate, taint, leaven, corrupt, cover with dust, drabble in the mud, roil, wallow in the mire, slobber, slabber.

Blemish

N blemish, disfigurement, deformity, adactylism, flaw, defect, injury, spots on the sun, eyesore, stain, blot, spot, spottiness, speck, speckle, blur, tarnish, smudge, dirt, freckle, mole, macula, patch, blotch, birthmark, blobber lip, blubber lip, blain, maculation, scar, wem, pustule, whelk, excrescence, pimple, pitted, freckled, discolored, imperfect, blobber-lipped, bloodshot, injured.

Disrepute

N disrepute, discredit, ill repute, bad repute, bad name, bad odor, bad favor, ill name, ill odor, ill favor, disapprobation, ingloriousness, derogation, abasement, debasement, abjectness, degradation, dedecoration, a long farewell to all my greatness, odium, obloquy, opprobrium, ignominy, dishonor, disgrace, shame, humiliation, scandal, baseness, vileness, turpitude, infamy, tarnish, taint, defilement, pollution, stain, blot, spot, blur, stigma, brand, reproach, imputation, slur, crying shame, burning shame, scandalum magnatum, badge of infamy, blot in one's escutcheon, bend sinister, bar sinister, champain, point champain, byword of reproach, Ichabod, argumentum ad verecundiam, sense of shame, disgraced, blown upon, shorn of its beams, shorn of one's glory, overcome, downtrodden, loaded with shame, in bad repute, out of repute, out of favor, out of fashion, out of countenance, at a discount, under a cloud, under an eclipse, unable to show one's face, in the shade, in the background, out at elbows, down at the elbows, down in the world, inglorious, nameless, renownless, obscure, unknown to fame, unnoticed, unnoted, unhonored, unglorified, shameful, disgraceful, discreditable, disreputable, despicable, questionable, unbecoming, unworthy, derogatory, degrading, humiliating, infra dignitatem, dedecorous, scandalous, infamous, too bad, unmentionable, ribald, opprobrious, errant, shocking, outrageous, notorious, ignominious, scrubby, dirty, abject, vile, beggarly, pitiful, low, mean, shabby base, to one's shame be it spoken, Int, fie!, shame!, for shame!, proh pudor!, O tempora!, O mores!, ough!, sic transit gloria mundi!.