to smear paint
- phrasal verb
:
untar pintura
- He liked to smear paint on unexpected surfaces, turning the sidewalk into an art exhibit.
Examples
-
The artist decided to smear paint across the canvas for a more expressive look.
-
I have been missing the act of smearing paint on canvas, so I sat and painted this small 8x10" study of the Seine from the left bank today.
Blog text (26) -
He smears paint on the kitchen table.
Fiction book (1998) -
After the storm, the children used their fingers to smear paint on the wall in bright colors.
Synonyms
63
3.7
To spread a substance over a surface in a messy way
30
3.7
To make something dirty or blurred by rubbing
15
6.9
Spread a thick layer of a wet thing like sauce or sunscreen on a surface
3
8.1
To cover a surface roughly with a thick sticky substance
1
9.9
To cover something thickly with a sticky, messy substance
1
8.8
To cover with small drops or spots like mud and paint
To paint quickly in a messy, uneven way
To put small spots of color over a surface like a shirt or wall
To smear something roughly with paint, plaster, or another soft wet material
To cover something with a sticky or greasy substance
How Messy
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to spread paint messily' is directly derived from combining 'smear' (to apply a substance messily across a surface) with 'paint' (a pigmented coating). This simple verb + object composition is a regular, cross-linguistic construction and would be immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
Smear paint creates a simple image: someone rubbing wet paint across a surface so it leaves streaks and blobs. The word smear here means to spread something in a messy, uneven way, so smear paint means 'to spread paint in a messy or uneven way'.