as in polluted
containing foreign or lower-grade substances
tainted groundwater that is unfit to drink
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in poisoned
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in contaminated
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tainted
Helen Regan, CNN, 25 Nov. 2024
But publishers are often slow to retract tainted papers, even when alerted to obvious fraud.
—Ars Technica, 31 Jan. 2025
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 19 Dec. 2024
The effects of drinking raw milk tainted with bird flu are still uncertain.
—Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tainted
Adjective
But Laos authorities have not given any indication of where and how tainted alcohol might have been served.
—Helen Regan, CNN, 25 Nov. 2024
But publishers are often slow to retract tainted papers, even when alerted to obvious fraud.
—Ars Technica, 31 Jan. 2025
Verb
But the appeals court said the appearance of a conflict still tainted Willis’ handling of the case.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 19 Dec. 2024
The effects of drinking raw milk tainted with bird flu are still uncertain.
—Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tainted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tainted
Verb
-
That number includes children, who represent 16 percent of those poisoned and 27 percent of all fatalities.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2025
-
And guess what, hospitals are seeing cases of vitamin A toxicity — of kids poisoned by being fed too many vitamins instead of being vaccinated.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The nation's top health advisor spent time with his grandchildren on Mother's Day in a contaminated Maryland creek, according to photos shared on his social media.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
13 May 2025
-
Mostly encountered in developing countries with poor water sanitation, the shape-shifting amoeba typically enters a person's colon after ingesting contaminated food or water.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 May 2025
Verb
-
The decision was not marred by procedural unfairness.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Lennon's notoriously troubled upbringing was marred by paternal abandonment, frequent moves, and the sudden death of those closest to him, including his estranged mother Julia.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In 2024, the retailer posted net income of $12 million, or 13 cents a diluted share, on total revenues of $7.99 billion, which included net sales of $7.97 billion.—
Vicki M. Young,
Footwear News,
16 May 2025
-
The profit figure compared with a loss of $1.26 per diluted share in the year-ago quarter.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
Vinegar, which is really dilute acetic acid, will help the milk curdle by further denaturing the whey proteins and neutralizing negative charges at the surface of casein micelles.—
Liz Roth-Johnson,
Discover Magazine,
12 Feb. 2013
-
However toxic a substance may be, the amount of exposure received by the general population is very dilute.—
George Johnson,
Discover Magazine,
8 July 2013
Adjective
-
The company in 2020 pleaded guilty to distributing adulterated ice-cream products and agreed to pay a fine over the outbreak.—
Dylan Tokar,
WSJ,
2 Feb. 2023
-
And while most of those overdoses involved the illicit synthetic opioid fentanyl, experts say that an adulterated and contaminated drug supply is also leading to deaths.—
Nadia Kounang,
CNN,
17 Mar. 2022
Adjective
-
Today, disruption is ongoing thanks to factors like economic indicators sending mixed signals, technological developments creating both threat and opportunity, and social patterns undergoing rapid evolution.—
John Pierce,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
-
Shares are down nearly 2% Wednesday on a mixed quarterly earnings report Tuesday evening.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tainted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tainted. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share