pollute

verb

pol·​lute pə-ˈlüt 

polluted; polluting

transitive verb

1

a

: to make ceremonially or morally impure : defile

b

: debase sense 1

… using language to deceive or mislead pollutes language.

—Linda C. Lederman

2

a

: to make physically impure or unclean : befoul, dirty

b

: to contaminate (an environment) especially with chemical or manufacturing waste

polluter noun

pollutive

pə-ˈlü-tiv 

adjective

Synonyms of pollute

• contaminate
• poison
• taint

Choose the Right Synonym for pollute

contaminate, taint, pollute, defile mean to make impure or unclean.

contaminate implies intrusion of or contact with dirt or foulness from an outside source.

water contaminated by industrial wastes

taint stresses the loss of purity or cleanliness that follows contamination.

tainted meat

a politician's tainted reputation

pollute, sometimes interchangeable with contaminate, distinctively may imply that the process which begins with contamination is complete and that what was pure or clean has been made foul, poisoned, or filthy.

the polluted waters of the river

defile implies befouling of what could or should have been kept clean and pure or held sacred and commonly suggests violation or desecration.

defile a hero's memory with slanderous innuendo

Examples of pollute in a Sentence

Miles of beaches were polluted by the oil spill.

Car exhaust pollutes the air.

Recent Examples on the Web

Under state rules, companies must not pollute, and oil and gas regulators at the Corporation Commission can revoke injection permits and issue fines to those that violate regulations. — Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 27 Oct. 2026

Any type of foreign material can harm a hydrothermal feature, either by clogging the water supply, polluting the water or blocking its runoff channel, according to the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. — Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026

When those waters are polluted, the damage is not confined to a technical measurement in a permit or a line on a monitoring report. — Dana Adkins, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Norway rats can transmit diseases to humans and other animals, damage property, and pollute food. — Blythe Copeland, Martha Stewart, 17 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin pollutus, past participle of polluere, from por- (akin to Latin per through) + -luere (akin to Latin lutum mud, Greek lyma dirt, defilement) — more at for

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for pollute

• acute
• aleut
• astute
• beetroot
• breadfruit
• cheroot
• commute
• compute
• confute
• dilute
• dispute
• elute

Kids Definition

pollute

verb

pol·​lute pə-ˈlüt 

polluted; polluting

: to make impure

especially : to spoil (as a natural resource) with waste made by humans

industrial wastes polluted the river

Medical Definition

pollute

transitive verb

pol·​lute pə-ˈlüt 

polluted; polluting

1

: to make physically impure or unclean

2

: to contaminate (an environment) especially with anthropogenic waste

polluter noun

pollutive

-ˈlüt-iv 

adjective