Bedealing
/bɪˈdiːlɪŋ/
verbC2present participle
Definition
To bedeal something means to cover it with a substance, usually in a way that makes it dirty or stained. It often refers to spreading a liquid or dirt over a surface, causing it to look messy or spoiled.
Was this helpful?
⚡ See It in Action
To cover or stain something, often with dirt or liquid
- •The children bedealed their clothes with mud while playing outside.
- •The spilled coffee bedealed the tablecloth, leaving a big stain.
- •Rain bedealed the windows with water drops and dirt.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "bedealing" like "cover," but with the idea of making something dirty or stained, not just putting something on top
- ✓Picture a white shirt smeared with mud after playing outside, completely covered and dirty
- ✓It's the feeling when your clean hands get all messy after touching paint or food
- ✓Sounds like "be-DEAL-ing" → imagine someone dealing (giving) a lot of dirt or stains onto something
- ✓Think of a story where a character accidentally spills ink on important papers, bedealing them and causing trouble
- ✓NOT like "clean" (makes things neat), "bedealing" makes things dirty or stained
- ✓NOT like "decorate" (adds beauty), "bedealing" usually ruins the look by making it messy
- ✓NOT like "paint" (adds color on purpose), "bedealing" often means unwanted or careless staining
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Soil: to make dirty (Use when talking about dirt or grime on clothes or surfaces)
- •Smear: to spread a substance messily (Use when the covering is uneven or spread out)
- •Cover: to put something over completely (Use when the focus is on full covering, not necessarily dirty)
- •Dirty: to make not clean (Use in everyday situations for mess or dirt)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: prefix "be-" (to cause or cover) + root "deal" (originally meaning to distribute or give)
- •Etymology: From Old English "bedǣlan," meaning to cover or deal out, now used mainly to mean covering with dirt or liquid
- •Historical development: The word was more common in older English and literary texts; it described covering or staining surfaces
- •Modern usage: Rare in everyday speech, mostly found in literature or formal writing to describe messy covering or staining
💭 Reflect & Connect
•In what situations might someone use "bedealing" instead of simpler words like "dirty" or "stain"?
•How does the idea of "bedealing" help us understand the difference between accidental mess and intentional decoration?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.The spilled paint kept ___ the floor, making it hard to clean up.
2.After the storm, the garden was ___ with mud and leaves.
3.She tried to clean the shirt, but the coffee had already ___ it badly.
4.Unlike careful painting, he was ___ the wall with random colors.
5.The children came home ___ from playing in the rain and mud.
6.When you ___ something with dirt, it usually needs washing afterward.
7.The artist's messy style looked like he was ___ his canvas rather than painting carefully.