Besmirch vs. Tarnish

Besmirchverb

To make dirty; to soil.

Besmirchverb

(transitive) To tarnish something, especially someone's reputation; to debase.

Besmirchverb

To smirch or soil; to discolor; to obscure. Hence: To dishonor; to sully.

Besmirchverb

charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone;

Besmirchverb

smear so as to make dirty or stained

Besmirchverb

damage (someone's reputation)

Besmirchverb

make (something) dirty or discoloured

Tarnishnoun

Oxidation or discoloration, especially of a decorative metal exposed to air.

Tarnishverb

(intransitive) To oxidize or discolor due to oxidation.

Tarnishverb

(transitive) To soil, sully, damage or compromise

Tarnishverb

To lose its lustre or attraction; to become dull.

Tarnishverb

To soil, or change the appearance of, especially by an alternation induced by the air, or by dust, or the like; to diminish, dull, or destroy the luster of; to sully; as, to tarnish a metal; to tarnish gilding; to tarnish the purity of color.

Tarnishverb

To lose luster; to become dull; as, gilding will tarnish in a foul air.

Tarnishnoun

The quality or state of being tarnished; stain; soil; blemish.

Tarnishnoun

A thin film on the surface of a metal, usually due to a slight alteration of the original color; as, the steel tarnish in columbite.

Tarnishnoun

discoloration of metal surface caused by oxidation

Tarnishverb

make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically;

Tarnish

Tarnish is a thin layer of corrosion that forms over copper, brass, aluminum, magnesium, neodymium and other similar metals as their outermost layer undergoes a chemical reaction. Tarnish does not always result from the sole effects of oxygen in the air.