しみ・染みshimi[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounstain; spot; smudge; blot; smear; blotch
   しみをこすり落おとすことができなかった。↗

   I couldn't scrub the stain out.
2. nounspot (on one's skin, e.g. chloasma, liver spot); blemish; discoloration; freckleesp. シミ

• Synonym汚れよごれNeutralThe broadest word for dirt or grime in general; 「染み」 covers only localized stains, uneven coloring, or spots on the skin.
• Synonym汚点おてんWrittenWritten/formal: a small spot, or figuratively a disgrace in one's history; 「染み」 stays with physical stains and blemishes.
• Related変色へんしょくNeutralA change of color or fading, whether across an object or in one area; 「染み」 names the stain or blotch itself, a mark left on a surface.
• RelatedスポットNeutralLoanword for a spot, dot, or place; 「染み」 means a stain or skin blemish rather than a location.
• Related色変わりいろがわりNeutralAn object's color changing, or something oddly colored; 「染み」 is a localized stain or spot on a surface or skin.

Use 「染み」 for stains on cloth, paper, or wood and spots on the skin, as in 「染み抜き」 and 「顔の染み」. For dirt in general pick 「汚れ」, for color change 「変色」, and for a figurative disgrace 「汚点」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 布ぬの、紙かみ、木材もくざい、皮膚ひふなどの上うえの汚よごれや色いろのむら。
2. 「しみる」の未然形みぜんけい。
3. 「しみる」の連用形れんようけい。