sully

1 of 2

verb

sul·​ly ˈsə-lē 

sullied; sullying

transitive verb

: to make soiled or tarnished : defile

sully

2 of 2

noun

plural sullies

archaic

: soil, stain

Did you know?

The spelling of sully has shifted several times since it was sylian in Old English, but its meaning has remained essentially the same: "to soil." In case you are wondering whether sullen (meaning "gloomy or morose") is a relative, the answer is "no." Sullen comes from Latin solus, meaning "alone."

Synonyms of sully

Verb

• stain
• blacken
• dirty
• besmirch
• befoul

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

The film hinges on a small moment that not only sullies the trip but leads her character to reconsider her understanding of her father. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 July 2026

Such shenanigans are more or less expected, and certainly haven’t forever sullied the American soccer fan base, at least here at home. — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 7 July 2026

The Spurs were a ghastly 11 of 46 from the perimeter, sullying an otherwise analytically pristine shot chart that included only four non-paint 2s. — John Hollinger, New York Times, 5 June 2026

Soap invited its viewers to take jabs at the genre in a time when the soap opera’s reputation had already been sullied in the American mind. — Literary Hub, 18 May 2026

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

Rhymes for sully

• cully
• drily
• dully
• gulley
• gully
• shaly

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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 

(ˌ)sə-ˈlē, 

sᵫ-ˈlē

Duc de 1560–1641 Maximilien de Béthune Baron de Rosny də-rō-ˈnē  French statesman

Sully

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Sul·​ly ˈsə-lē 

Thomas 1783–1872 American (English-born) painter