What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Smudge vs Smidgen - What's the difference?

smudge | smidgen |

As nouns the difference between smudge and smidgen

is that smudge is a blemish; a smear while smidgen is a very small quantity or amount.

As a verb smudge

is to obscure by blurring; to smear.

smudge

English

Etymology 1

Noun

(en noun)
  • A blemish; a smear.
    • There was a smudge on the paper.
  • Dense smoke, such as that used for fumigation.
    • (Grose)
  • (US) A heap of damp combustibles partially ignited and burning slowly, placed on the windward side of a house, tent, etc. to keep off mosquitoes or other insects.
    • (Bartlett)
    Synonyms
    * blur, smear, stain

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) smogen.

    Verb

    (smudg)
  • To obscure by blurring; to smear.
  • To soil or smear with dirt.
  • To use dense smoke to protect from insects.
  • To stifle or smother with smoke.
  • (North American Indigenous) To burn herbs as a cleansing ritual.
    • Synonyms
    * (to obscure by blurring) blur, smear * (to soil or smear with dirt) smutch, soil * (to use smoke against insects) fumigate

    Related terms

    * smudgily * smudginess * smudgy

    Anagrams

    *

    smidgen

    English

    Alternative forms

    * smidge, smidgeon, smidgin

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A very small quantity or amount.
    • Would you like some more cake? — I'll have a smidgen .
    Move it a smidgen to the right.

    Usage notes

    Some cookbooks and manufacturers of kitchen measurement sets have attempted to define a smidgen' for recipes. Anything between 1/25th and 1/48th of a teaspoon may be found, 1/32nd being perhaps the most commonly used. Other commonly used measures for small amounts include tad, dash, pinch, and drop. There seems to be some consensus of tad being the largest in this set and ' smidgen being larger than a drop but smaller than a pinch.

    Synonyms

    * see * hair's breadth