polluting

adjective

pol·​lut·​ing pə-ˈlü-tiŋ 

: causing pollution

… a region that has been dependent upon basic industries such as coal mining and metal work—relatively polluting industries.

—Patricia L. Layman

The recycling process itself can be polluting. Recyclers find it difficult to separate recyclable from nonrecyclable plastics, which causes the end product to be useless.

—Sally Hayhow Cullen

Examples of polluting in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

All non-essential construction is paused, and the most polluting vehicles are banned from the roads while the measure remains in force. —Esha Mitra, CNN Money, 23 Nov. 2025

Founded in 2021, EverDye is a French, green-chemistry company revolutionizing textile dyeing, one of the most polluting steps in fashion production. —Lauren Parker, Sourcing Journal, 21 Nov. 2025

Their process could potentially decarbonize the chemical industry, which is widely regarded as one of the most polluting sectors around the world. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2025

Her elevated essentials are crafted with the most luxurious (and least polluting) materials. —Olivia Pinnock, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for polluting

• commuting
• computing
• diluting
• disputing
• eluting
• imputing
• recruiting
• refuting
• rerouting
• saluting
• transmuting
• uprooting