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

Kennedy, whose bizarre admissions that he picked up a dead bear and left it in Central Park and that worms had eaten part of his brain sullied his name in the news cycle since announcing his presidential bid, has polled at roughly five percent in recent counts.

From Salon

In a high-profile trial beginning Friday, Senator Linda Reynolds is arguing Ms Higgins sullied her reputation with a series of social media posts.

From BBC

Related Words

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