taint[verb]Synonyms:- spoil, blemish, contaminate, corrupt, damage, defile, pollute, ruin, stain, sully, tarnish
[noun]Synonyms:- stain, black mark, blemish, blot, defect, demerit, fault, flaw, spot
Contrasted words: brighten, cleanse, clear
Related Idioms: cast a slur upon, give a bad name to, give a black mark to
Related Words: discredit,
brand,
stigmatize,
blacken,
damage,
harm,
hurt,
befoul,
contaminate,
foul [TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲
I. taint1 /teɪnt/
verb [transitive usually passive][
Date: 1500-1600;
Origin: Partly from Anglo-French teinter 'to color', from Latin tingere ( ⇒ tinge2); partly from Old French ataint, from ataindre (, attain)]
1. if something bad taints a situation or person, it makes the person or situation seem bad:
Baker argues that his trial was tainted by negative publicity.2. to damage something by adding an unwanted substance to it
taint something with something The water had been tainted with a deadly toxin. [TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲
II. taint2 noun [singular] the appearance of being related to something bad or morally wrong
taint of The city has suffered for many years under the taint of corruption. [TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲