besmirch vs defame

besmirch and defame both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
besmirch	No	No	Yes	No
defame	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, besmirch and defame are synonyms defined as:

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

Other synonyms of besmirch include asperse, calumniate, denigrate, slander, smear, smirch, sully.

besmirch (verb)	defame (verb)
charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone	charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone
smear so as to make dirty or stained