sullied

[ suhl-eed ]

adjective

1. soiled, stained, or tarnished:

   He was above the sullied reputations of some party members, who were thought to be corrupt, greedy, and arrogant.

   To a lover of reading, how beautiful are the sullied pages and worn-out appearance of a well-used book!

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of sully.

Other Words From

• un·sul·lied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sullied¹

sully + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

The incident — which revived memories of a massive 3-million-gallon spill almost 50 years earlier — sullied some of the state’s most pristine beaches and a rare stretch of undeveloped coastline.

From Los Angeles Times

There is no doubt that the crackdown has sullied the image of the president.

From BBC

Major spoiler alert: for those who don't want their viewing experience sullied, please stop reading now.

From Salon

But I cannot scrub away the sullied enigma who hurt me in the colossal, copious ways he did.

From Salon

She said Hill being named captain had "sullied" the role.

From BBC

Related Words

• contaminated
• crummy
• disheveled
• dusty
• filthy
• greasy
• grimy
• messy
• muddy
• murky
• nasty
• polluted
• sloppy
• stained
• unkempt