Synonyms of adulterated

adulterated 1 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈdəl-tə-ˌrā-təd 

as in polluted

containing foreign or lower-grade substances

the outbreak of food poisoning was traced to adulterated ground beef

Synonyms & Similar Words

• polluted
• diluted
• contaminated
• thinned
• dilute
• tainted
• mixed
• blended
• impure
• alloyed
• weakened
• adulterate
• combined
• soiled
• corrupted
• debased
• compounded
• spoiled
• incorporated
• unfiltered
• unclarified
• defiled
• dirtied
• commingled
• begrimed
• mingled
• merged
• unrefined
• fouled
• intermingled
• intermixed
• sullied
• besmirched
• befouled
• doctored
• maculate
• bemired
• cheapened
• coalesced

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• pure
• uncontaminated
• unadulterated
• undiluted
• unmixed
• untainted
• fine
• purified
• refined
• unpolluted
• uncut
• filtered
• unalloyed
• plain
• concentrated
• straight
• neat
• strong
• ultrapure
• pasteurized
• uncombined
• sterile
• clarified
• ultrarefined
• sterilized
• clean
• stainless
• unsullied
• immaculate
• spotless
• unsoiled

adulterated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of adulterate

as in diluted

to alter (something) for the worse with the addition of foreign or lower-grade substances

the company was fined for adulterating its "all beef" frankfurters with cereal

Synonyms & Similar Words

• diluted
• infected
• poisoned
• loaded
• cut
• thinned
• weakened
• manipulated
• tainted
• sophisticated
• contaminated
• spoiled
• polluted
• laced
• degraded
• extended
• watered down
• soiled
• corrupted
• counterfeited
• debased
• defiled
• misrepresented
• tempered
• falsified
• dirtied
• sullied
• attenuated
• fouled
• doctored
• qualified
• cheapened
• faked
• spiked
• tampered (with)
• befouled
• moderated
• envenomed
• fudged

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• enriched
• strengthened
• fortified
• fertilized
• supplemented
• augmented
• purified
• reinforced
• improved
• refined
• distilled
• cleaned
• filtered
• pasteurized
• richened
• purged
• cleansed
• larded
• enhanced
• clarified
• flushed
• leached
• decontaminated
• condensed
• concentrated
• compacted
• bettered

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of adulterated

Adjective

Navarro, who pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy in August, was sentenced Friday in Manhattan by federal Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil for being part of a conspiracy to distribute and administer adulterated and misbranded drugs for racehorses. — Stephen Edelson, The Courier-Journal, 18 Dec. 2021

Verb

Some olive oils are adulterated, which means other substances may be added to them to lower the quality—and often manufacturing costs—while increasing the amount in the bottle. — Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 27 Apr. 2026

Naloxone, the active drug in Narcan, is only effective on opioids and not on stimulants like cocaine, which would suggest the substance Dick used was adulterated with an opiate such as fentanyl. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026

Fruits, leafy greens and other produce can become adulterated with listeria through fecal contamination, which can occur through wastewater, water in the growing area, fertilizer and the proximity of said growing area to livestock, USA TODAY previously reported. — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025

Real Madrid chief Florentino Perez was dead against the idea, with his club arguing that breaking the traditional home and away format adulterated the competition, while also expressing concern over participating teams gaining a financial advantage. — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025

Food and/or ice adulterated or contaminated. — Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025