pollute
[verb]
Synonyms:
- contaminate, dirty, foul, infect, poison, soil, spoil, stain, taint
- defile, corrupt, debase, debauch, deprave, desecrate, dishonour, profane, sully

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

pol‧lute /pəˈluːt/ verb [transitive]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: past participle of polluere]

1. to make air, water, soil etc dangerously dirty and not suitable for people to use:
beaches polluted by raw sewage
The factory pollutes the air and water.
heavily/severely/badly etc polluted
The island has been seriously polluted by a copper mine.
pollute something with something
The rivers had been polluted with aluminium.

2. to spoil or ruin something that used to be good:
an artist spiritually polluted by money and fame

3. pollute sb’s mind to give someone immoral thoughts and spoil their character:
Violence on television is polluting the minds of our children.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲