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 of tainted

• 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

For Sysco, the linkup with Cisco provides a welcome distraction from the widening cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to tainted iceberg lettuce from Mexico that’s sickened thousands of people. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 28 July 2026

People who ingest tainted food or water don’t get sick right away. — Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 25 July 2026

Cyclosporiasis is an illness caused by a pathogen in tainted produce, which has already sickened thousands of Americans this summer. — Taylor Swinton, Washington Post, 17 July 2026

As part of the settlement, Latchford’s estate also forfeited a 7th-century bronze statue depicting the goddess Durga, alleged to have been stolen from Vietnam in 2008 and which Latchford allegedly purchased using tainted funds. — Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 16 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tainted

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