Synonyms

sullied

American

[suhl-eed] / ˈsʌl id /

adjective

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

the simple past tense and past participle of sully.

Other Word Forms

unsullied adjective

Etymology

Origin of sullied

sully + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Plenty of Kobe Bryant fans began griping online about the Heat’s tactics, which they said sullied a legendary evening.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026

But he has been tipped to potentially replace Thomas Tuchel as England boss after the World Cup and will not want his reputation sullied by a poor end to the season.

From Barron's • Feb. 8, 2026

Now-Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood experienced similar hostility despite holding the Ladywood constituency, describing it as a campaign "sullied by harassment and intimidation" of her, her family and supporters.

From BBC • Oct. 12, 2025

It has a history of bad actors who have sullied crypto’s good name by issuing stablecoins that turned out not to be stable.

From Slate • May 21, 2025

Finally, it lay in a puff of sullied feathers.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023