tainted

adjective

taint·​ed ˈtān-təd 

: altered from a pure state or condition: such as

a

: contaminated by or as if by dirt, impurities, or harmful organisms

tainted food

Nearby residents typically want every shovelful of tainted soil dug up and shipped far, far away.

—Gregg Easterbrook

… federal health authorities identified an organic produce company … as a possible source of some of the tainted spinach.

—Julia Preston et al.

Viruses are often passed along to other computers via tainted files …

—J. D. Biersdorfer

b

: corrupted morally or ethically

a tainted victory

c

: damaged or spoiled by alteration from a correct or original state or form

tainted evidence

tainted testimony

Synonyms of tainted

• polluted
• contaminated
• diluted
• thinned
• dilute
• adulterated
• mixed
• blended

Examples of tainted in a Sentence

tainted groundwater that is unfit to drink

Recent Examples on the Web

To this day, no one knows how the miners pulled off their scam, but multiple scientists suspect that tainted groundwater had something to do with it. — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 9 Mar. 2026

Another juvenile in detention passed around the tainted jug, according to the suit. — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026

Consuming tainted eggs can cause salmonellosis, a foodborne illness that attacks your intestinal tract. — Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 7 Apr. 2026

Chinese officials blamed the tainted test results on chemically altered food the athletes had consumed at the time. — Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 6 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tainted

• fainted
• painted
• sainted
• acquainted
• attainted
• repainted
• unpainted
• untainted
• unacquainted