tainted

adjective

taint·​ed ˈtān-təd 

: altered from a pure state or condition: such as

a

: contaminated by or as if by dirt, impurities, or harmful organisms

tainted food

Nearby residents typically want every shovelful of tainted soil dug up and shipped far, far away.

—Gregg Easterbrook

… federal health authorities identified an organic produce company … as a possible source of some of the tainted spinach.

—Julia Preston et al.

Viruses are often passed along to other computers via tainted files …

—J. D. Biersdorfer

b

: corrupted morally or ethically

a tainted victory

c

: damaged or spoiled by alteration from a correct or original state or form

tainted evidence

tainted testimony

Synonyms

• polluted
• contaminated
• diluted
• thinned
• dilute
• adulterated
• mixed
• blended

Examples of tainted in a Sentence

tainted groundwater that is unfit to drink

Recent Examples on the Web

Advertisement Friedrich died at the end of 1934 after eating tainted chicken meat. —Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 22 Aug. 2025

King also claimed that the tainted alcohol is then sold back to restaurants, bars, hotels and other drinking establishments. —Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2025

In 2024, for example, the FDA issued warnings about online sales of tainted weight loss supplements. —Rochelle Blease, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025

The film details how the couple allegedly gained influence over key elements of California’s public water system amid intensifying drought, as well as the environmental impact of large-scale agriculture, including the use of chemically tainted wastewater for irrigation. —Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tainted

• fainted
• painted
• sainted
• acquainted
• attainted
• repainted
• unpainted
• untainted
• unacquainted