Thesaurus

taint

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of taint

a mark of guilt or disgrace

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

Synonyms of taint

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

Words Related to taint

black eye, discredit, disesteem, disgrace, dishonor, disrepute, guilt, ignominy, infamy, obloquy, odium, opprobrium, reproach, shame

corruption, debauchery, depravity, immorality, iniquity, licentiousness, sin, unscrupulousness, vice

Near Antonyms of taint

award, credit, honor

chasteness, chastity, modesty, purity, stainlessness

honesty, integrity, legitimacy, probity, rectitude, scrupulousness, uprightness

goodness, righteousness, virtuousness

fame, glory, renown, repute

taint

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of taint

1 to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable

criticism of her sister's singing that was tainted by envy

a tendency toward conceitedness taints the athlete's status as a role model

Synonyms of taint

blemish, darken, mar, poison, spoil, stain, tarnish, touch, vitiate

Words Related to taint

begrime, besmear, besmirch, blacken, blur, cloud, dirty, discolor, pollute, smear, smirch, smudge, smut, soil, sully, tar

abase, cheapen, debase, degrade, demean, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, foul, lower, shame, sink

bastardize, corrupt, debauch, demoralize, deprave, pervert, subvert

color, distort, twist

Near Antonyms of taint

cleanse, purify

dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, glorify, hallow, magnify, uplift

2 to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable

smog has long tainted the air of the city, making it difficult to breathe

Synonyms of taint

befoul, contaminate, defile, foul, poison, pollute

Words Related to taint

begrime, besmirch, blacken, dirty, foul up, grime, mire, muddy, smirch, smudge, soil, stain, sully

corrupt, rot, spoil

adulterate, doctor

dilute, water down

Near Antonyms of taint

clarify, clean, cleanse, clear, distill (also distil), purge

disinfect, sanitize, sterilize

Antonyms of taint

decontaminate, purify

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

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