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 man-made waste

polluter noun

pollutive

pə-ˈlü-tiv 

adjective

Synonyms

• befoul
• contaminate
• defile
• foul
• 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

Fact check:No, study doesn't show electric cars pollute 1,850 times as much as gas cars Why are gas prices going back up? Spokesperson for AAA, Andrew Gross, told USA TODAY that the most recent price increase is no surprise. —USA TODAY, 10 Apr. 2024

Polluting factors should not be developed near vulnerable communities, and in the meantime, pregnant women would benefit from staying away from polluting sites (like downwind of highways) as much as possible. —Jeremy Ney, TIME, 9 Apr. 2024

The residents of a spa town are trying to prevent a local doctor, Dr. Stockmann, from telling the truth about a factory that's polluting the local water supply. —Chloe Veltman, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024

So that the ride will finally stop polluting the environment at the same time, is even more special. —Germain Lussier / Gizmodo, Quartz, 3 Apr. 2024

Slowing the transition would essentially give automakers license to keep selling polluting vehicles longer. —Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 19 Mar. 2024

Climate change could cause this nuclear waste to enter the environment, as warming temperatures melt ice sheets that contain radioactive liquid and raise sea levels that could pollute food and water sources with toxic waste, per the study. —Tara Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024

Fake eclipse glasses 'polluting the marketplace' Don't fall for fake eclipse glasses, either. —Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 2 Apr. 2024

Many of the older chemicals, including PBDE, still exist in vintage items, such as the foam in older sofas and carpet padding, but a key route of exposure is contamination — flame retardants have leached from landfills over decades to pollute the air, soil, groundwater, rivers and streams. —Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 1 Apr. 2024

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

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 man-made waste

polluter noun

pollutive

-ˈlüt-iv 

adjective