polluted

[ puh-loo-tid ]

adjective

1. made unclean or impure; contaminated; tainted:

   swimming in polluted waters.

2. Slang. drunk ( def 1 ).

polluted

/ pəˈluːtɪd /

adjective

1. made unclean or impure; contaminated
2. slang.
   intoxicated; drunk

Other Words From

• pol·luted·ness noun
• unpol·luted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of polluted¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; pollute, -ed ²

Example Sentences

Again, untreated effluent polluted the rivers and the local marsh rhyne drainage system.

From BBC

They say the only water they can find here is polluted.

From BBC

“Lahore is much more polluted than Delhi with pollution episodes that last longer and reach higher peaks,” he notes.

From BBC

Lahore, Pakistan's second-largest city, topped the world list of cities with the most polluted air for a second time on Sunday.

From BBC

"It horrifies me to think that this stream is more badly polluted now than when we first came here 27 years ago", says Lyn Crowe, chairwoman of the environment group.

From BBC

Related Words

• awful
• dirty
• fierce
• horrible
• icky
• murderous
• noxious
• obnoxious
• ornery
• outrageous
• rough
• tough
• unpleasant
• vile
• vulgar