Vocabulary

taint

taint

\ˈtānt\

: to hurt or damage the good condition of (something): to make (something) dangerous or dirtyespecially by adding something harmful orundesirable to it

Full Definition

transitive verb1 : to contaminate morally : corrupt<scholarship tainted by envy>2 : to affect with putrefaction : spoil3 : to touch or affect slightly with somethingbad <persons tainted with prejudice>intransitive verb1 obsolete : to become weak2 : to become affected with putrefaction : spoil

synonyms see contaminate

Examples

The reputation of the university has beentainted by athletic scandals.Their relationship was tainted with/bysuspicion.Bacteria had tainted the meat.

Origin: Middle English teynten to color &taynten to attaint; Middle English teynten, fromAnglo-French teinter, from teint, past participleof teindre, from Latin tingere; Middle Englishtaynten, short for attaynten - more at tinge,attain.

First use: 1573

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

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

Antonyms: decontaminate, purify

2

taint

noun

: something that causes a person or thing to be thought of as bad, dishonest, etc.

Full Definition

: a contaminating mark or influence <the taintof scandal>taint·less \-ləs\ adjective

Examples

a political career damaged by the taint ofscandalthat rare political campaign that wasn'tmarred by the taint of false accusations

First use: 1601

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

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

Antonyms: decontaminate, purify