taint

taint

verb

Definition of TAINT

1

to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable <criticism of her sister's singing that was tainted by envy> <a tendency toward conceitedness taints that athlete's status as a role model>

Synonyms blemish, darken, mar, poison, spoil, stain, tarnish, touch, vitiate

Related Words begrime, besmear, besmirch, blacken, blur, cloud, dirty, discolor, pollute, smear, smirch, smudge, smut, soil, sully, tar; abase, cheapen, debase, degrade, demean, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, foul, lower, shame, sink; bastardize, corrupt, debauch, demoralize, deprave, pervert, subvert; color, distort, twist

Near Antonyms cleanse, purify; dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, glorify, hallow, magnify, uplift

2

to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable <smog has long tainted the air of that city, making it difficult to breathe>

Synonyms befoul, defile, foul, poison, pollute, taint

Related Words infect; begrime, besmirch, blacken, dirty, foul up, grime, mire, muddy, smirch, smudge, soil, stain, sully; corrupt, rot, spoil; adulterate, doctor; dilute, water down

Near Antonyms clarify, clean, cleanse, clear, distill (also distil), purge; filter; disinfect, sanitize, sterilize

Antonyms decontaminate, purify