taint

verb \ ˈtānt \

|Updated on: 15 Jun 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: taint in a Sentence

Definition of taint

tainted; tainting; taints

transitive verb

1 : to contaminate morally : corrupt

scholarship tainted by envy

2 : to affect with putrefaction : spoil

3 : to touch or affect slightly with something bad

persons tainted with prejudice

intransitive verb

1 : to become affected with putrefaction : spoil

2 obsolete : to become weak

See taint defined for English-language learners

See taint defined for kids

Examples of taint in a Sentence

criticism of her sister's singing that was tainted by envy
a tendency toward conceitedness taints that athlete's status as a role model

Recent Examples of taint from the Web

He’d been tainted by scandal and wouldn’t be a commanding liberal voice for the party on TV.

— laura mcgann, Vox, "The still-raging controversy over Al Franken’s resignation, explained," 21 May 2018
In the past month, 149 people in 29 states have been sickened by romaine lettuce tainted with E. coli.

— meghan overdeep, Southern Living, "When Will It Be Safe to Eat Romaine Lettuce Again?," 10 May 2018
Colon allowed three runs in seven innings April 28 at Toronto, but two solo homers might have tainted that one.

— jeff wilson, star-telegram, "Rangers Reaction: With Beltre, Odor closer to returning, here's how Profar, Kiner-Falefa can stay in the lineup | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 6 May 2018
Jordan’s outlying governorates have a long history of bold mega-projects billed by the government as cure-alls that either never materialize, arrive decades late, are tainted with corruption, employ few locals, or do not employ locals at all.

— taylor luck, The Christian Science Monitor, "In rural Jordan, pulling power from the wind to make change on the ground," 3 May 2018
That the romantic image of the outdoors writer was tainted.

— steve meyer, Anchorage Daily News, "An outdoors writer gets his first assignment, and it yields an unexpected tale," 2 May 2018
This culture has compromised the state’s own ability to prosecute crime: The Gun Trace Task Force’s intransigence has tainted hundreds of pending criminal cases, and hundreds more could follow.

— cristian farias, New Republic, "Baltimore’s Lonely Fight for Police Reform," 20 Feb. 2018
Colombia has never elected a left-wing candidate to the presidency—partly because the left’s ideology has been tainted by the violence of the Marxist FARC, and partly because of a strong conservative religious undercurrent in politics.

— ciara nugent, Time, "How a Former Guerrilla Leader’s U.S. Extradition Threatens Colombia’s Fragile Peace," 25 May 2018
Then, once the news was out with a big splash, there was little coverage of the fact that findings were tainted.

— bryant stamford, The Courier-Journal, "Is testosterone replacement therapy safe? Here's what you need to know," 24 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'taint.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of taint

Middle English teynten to color & taynten to attaint; Middle English teynten, from Anglo-French teinter, from teint, past participle of teindre, from Latin tingere; Middle English taynten, short for attaynten — more at tinge, attain

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1573

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

taint Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of taint

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

taint

noun

Definition of taint

: a contaminating mark or influence

the taint of scandal

—

taintless

play \-ləs\ adjective

See taint defined for English-language learners

Examples of taint in a Sentence

that rare political campaign that wasn't marred by the taint of false accusations

Recent Examples of taint from the Web

Would the taint last for the entirety of his administration?

— cristian farias, Daily Intelligencer, "In the Travel-Ban Case, Supreme Court Seems Ready to Let Trump Be Trump," 25 Apr. 2018
These clergy and parishioners dismissed the humanitarian act of rescuing Jews — which was also undeniably political — as a course best avoided by a church that perceived itself above the taint of worldly affairs.

— rabbi dan fink, idahostatesman, "Neutrality is not a moral option | Idaho Statesman," 21 Apr. 2018
Under the procedure, the taint team would turn over to the case investigators all the material that is relevant and not covered by attorney-client privilege.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Attorney for Trump lawyer Michael Cohen says Cohen performed secret legal work for Fox News commentator Sean Hannity," 17 Apr. 2018
The judge can also use a special master to do what the taint team would do.

— kevin johnson, USA TODAY, "Attorney-client privilege: It's all over the news but how does it work?," 17 Apr. 2018
In their filing on Sunday night, Trump’s lawyers said a taint team won’t be fair to the president.

— Bloomberg.com, "Trump Seeks to Delay Own Justice Department in Cohen Probe," 16 Apr. 2018
That has not stopped the president and his legal team from insisting that the Russia probe should be shut down due to the taint of its allegedly fraudulent origins.

— peter grier, The Christian Science Monitor, "The perennial presidential urge to bring FBI 'under control'," 29 Mar. 2018
The advertising of a lady’s past, the beige and ivory taint of autobiography dyed like a scarlet A into the very threads of her dress.

— dwight garner, New York Times, "In Lorrie Moore’s Nonfiction, the Sounds of an Intellectual Having a Good Time," 26 Mar. 2018
But that all assumes, among many other things, that the firing itself was free of political taint.

— philip bump, Washington Post, "Trump defenders’ efforts to cast Mueller as tainted are gaining urgency," 17 Mar. 2018

First Known Use of taint

1601

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

taint Synonyms

Synonyms

blot, brand, slur, smirch, smudge, spot, stain, stigma;

Near Antonyms

award, credit, honor;

chasteness, chastity, modesty, purity, stainlessness;

honesty, integrity, probity, rectitude, uprightness;

goodness, righteousness, virtuousness;

fame;

corruption, depravity, immorality, iniquity, sin, vice;

TAINT Defined for English Language Learners

taint

verb

Definition of taint for English Language Learners

: to hurt or damage the good condition of (something)
: to make (something) dangerous or dirty especially by adding something harmful or undesirable to it