sully

1 of 2

verb

sul·​ly ˈsə-lē How to pronounce sully (audio)
sullied; sullying

transitive verb

: to make soiled or tarnished : defile

sully

2 of 2

noun

plural sullies
archaic
: soil, stain

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
Verb
An equally nasty battle with Taylor Swift, over his ownership of her song catalogue, had sullied his public image. Alex Barasch, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 Nothing in life is ever just better or worse, purer or more sullied. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2024 Here, his white knight’s armor is sullied before his face is scarred, and how that fits this version of Gotham City makes for a fitting rallying cry all its own. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 Aug. 2024 Oh the incorruptible queen sullies herself with a lover. Eliana Dockterman, TIME, 5 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sully 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sully.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English *sullien, probably alteration (influenced by Anglo-French suillier, soiller to soil) of sulen to soil, from Old English sylian

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1601, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sully was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near sully

Cite this Entry

“Sully.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sully. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

sully

verb
sul·​ly
ˈsəl-ē
sullied; sullying
: to make soiled or tarnished

Biographical Definition

Sully 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Sul·​ly ˈsə-lē How to pronounce Sully (audio)
(ˌ)sə-ˈlē,
sᵫ-ˈlē
Duc de 1560–1641 Maximilien de Béthune Baron de Rosny də-rō-ˈnē How to pronounce Sully (audio) French statesman

Sully

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Sul·​ly ˈsə-lē How to pronounce Sully (audio)
Thomas 1783–1872 American (English-born) painter

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