Did you know?
The spelling of sully has shifted several times since it was sylian in Old English, but its meaning has remained essentially the same: "to soil." In case you are wondering whether sullen (meaning "gloomy or morose") is a relative, the answer is "no." Sullen comes from Latin solus, meaning "alone."
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
Amanda Rosa
updated April 28, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
In its first go-round, Beef was ripe with curiosity about first-gen immigrant families and how the fear of leaving home stagnates and sullies us.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
And could a second season, sans the extraordinary talents of Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, deliver a story and themes in keeping with that brand, without sullying what was so deviously tricky about the original series and its tone?
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
But a battlefield promotion to Ayatollah was arranged, blending faith with politics in an exercise that critics said sullied both even before Khamenei reinforced his position by earthly means, elevating the IRGC.
—Karl Vick, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sully
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
He was accused of abusing boys, a charge that went unproven but sullied his reputation in Europe.
—Amanda Rosa
updated April 28, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
In its first go-round, Beef was ripe with curiosity about first-gen immigrant families and how the fear of leaving home stagnates and sullies us.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
And could a second season, sans the extraordinary talents of Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, deliver a story and themes in keeping with that brand, without sullying what was so deviously tricky about the original series and its tone?
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
But a battlefield promotion to Ayatollah was arranged, blending faith with politics in an exercise that critics said sullied both even before Khamenei reinforced his position by earthly means, elevating the IRGC.
—Karl Vick, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sully
Cite this Entry
“Sully.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sully. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
