sully

1 of 2

verb

sul·​ly ˈsə-lē How to pronounce sully (audio)
sullied; sullying

transitive verb

: to make soiled or tarnished : defile

sully

2 of 2

noun

plural sullies
archaic
: soil, stain

Examples of sully in a Sentence

Verb people that sully our state parks with their trash a once-gleaming marble interior sullied by decades of exposure to cigarette smoke
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
One of them complained in one exchange that the Ukrainian president was like Brad Pitt, a global star with an image that couldn’t be sullied. Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024 As the truth shifts under Jim’s feet, his view of the world is left forever sullied. Ellise Shafer, Variety, 23 Jan. 2024 Critics and rights groups say the vote follows a troubling pattern, where the past two elections held under Hasina were sullied by allegations of vote-rigging — which authorities have denied — and another boycott by opposition parties. TIME, 8 Jan. 2024 Toshiba’s good name was sullied in recent years by a major accounting scandal and the collapse of energy subsidiary Westinghouse. David Meyer, Fortune, 20 Dec. 2023 Santa Claus is a universal symbol of holiday cheer and good will to others – but some who have donned the Kris Kringle costume have sullied the suit with Christmastime crimes. Christina Coulter, Fox News, 25 Dec. 2023 Long-time residents would sometimes speak of the area’s transformation in xenophobic terms, bemoaning the invasion of South Asians like myself, and my family, who had sullied the longstanding culture with our gaudy song-and-dance and pungent spices. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Dec. 2023 But Fefferman said this dirt sometimes blows onto his home, coating his solar panels and sullying his pool and koi pond. Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2023 Strauss remained in Germany and Austria, his reputation forever sullied by his ambivalent relationship with the Nazi regime. John Adams, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sully.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English *sullien, probably alteration (influenced by Anglo-French suillier, soiller to soil) of sulen to soil, from Old English sylian

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1601, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sully was in the 15th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near sully

Cite this Entry

“Sully.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sully. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

sully

verb
sul·​ly
ˈsəl-ē
sullied; sullying
: to make soiled or tarnished

Biographical Definition

Sully 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Sul·​ly ˈsə-lē How to pronounce Sully (audio)
(ˌ)sə-ˈlē,
sᵫ-ˈlē
Duc de 1560–1641 Maximilien de Béthune Baron de Rosny də-rō-ˈnē How to pronounce Sully (audio) French statesman

Sully

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Sul·​ly ˈsə-lē How to pronounce Sully (audio)
Thomas 1783–1872 American (English-born) painter

More from Merriam-Webster on sully

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!