Sully: meaning, definitions and examples

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sully

[ ˈsʌli ]

^{Context #1}

intransitive

damage the purity or integrity of; defile.

Synonyms

blemish, defile, pollute, stain, tarnish

Examples of usage

the scandal had sullied his reputation
an act that sullied the good name of the town

^{Context #2}

transitive

make something dirty or tarnished.

Synonyms

dirty, grime, mark, smudge, spot

Examples of usage

the windows were sullied by fingerprints
the river had been sullied by pollution

^{Context #3}

archaic

a place or act of corrupting or damaging someone's reputation.

Synonyms

blemish, defile, pollute, stain, tarnish

Examples of usage

the sullies of the world will try to tarnish your good name

Translations

Translations of the word "sully" in other languages:

🇵🇹 manchar

🇮🇳 कलंकित करना

🇩🇪 beschmutzen

🇮🇩 mengotori

🇺🇦 паплюжити

🇵🇱 kaleczyć

🇯🇵 汚す (けがす)

🇫🇷 salir

🇪🇸 manchar

🇹🇷 lekelemek

🇰🇷 더럽히다

🇸🇦 يلوث

🇨🇿 pošpinit

🇸🇰 pošpiniť

🇨🇳 弄脏 (nòng zāng)

🇸🇮 umazati

🇮🇸 saurga

🇰🇿 ластап кетіру

🇬🇪 დაბინძურება

🇦🇿 ləkələmək

🇲🇽 manchar

Word origin

The word 'sully' originated from Middle English 'sulien', which came from Old French 'souiller' meaning 'to soil, dirty, pollute'. The sense of 'damage the purity or integrity of' dates back to the late 16th century. Over time, 'sully' has evolved to encompass both physical and metaphorical tarnishing or defiling.