Synonyms for contaminate
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Pollute — to soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association
pollute, sully, defile, tarnish, infect, soil, vitiate, stain, corrupt, foul, dirty, injure, debase, smear, debauch, pervert, warp, befoul, inquinate formal, degrade, besmirch, blacken
2. Spoil — to make unfit for use by the introduction of unwholesome or undesirable elements
3. Taint — to make something dangerous or toxic by introducing impurities or foreign matter
Definitions
- v. 1
To make something dangerous or toxic by introducing impurities or foreign matter.
This water is contaminated. It isn't safe to drink.
- v. 2
To soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association.
- v. 3
To make unfit for use by the introduction of unwholesome or undesirable elements.
Do not contaminate the peanut butter with the jelly.
- v. 4
To infect, usually of a deadly virus.
Related words
- Word family
- contaminator contamination
Forms
- Past participle
- contaminated
e.g. contaminated → polluted, sullied, defiled, tarnished…
Choose the right word
Contaminate and infect refer to something evil that deeply pervades and permeates, as the human body or mind.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- sully I wouldn't want to sully your good name.
- pollute Travelling by bus or bike, you could pollute less.
- tarnish Sami was trying to tarnish Layla's reputation.
- defile I can't believe you would defile a gravestone!
- ruin The gradual ruin of our country has to be stopped.
- mar The first Ceza song I ever heard was "Türk Marşı".
By length
- 3 letters
- mar1
- 4 letters
- soil1, ruin2, foul1, warp1
- 5 letters
- dirty2, spoil1, stain1, smear1, sully2, taint1, leper2
- 6 letters
- poison2, infect2, injure2, blight1, defile, debase2, befoul
- 7 letters
- disease2, corrupt2, pervert2, degrade2, pollute2, tarnish2, blacken2, vitiate3, debauch, deprave2
- 8 letters
- besmirch
- 9 letters
- inquinate
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (ruin2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- contaminer
- Italiano
- contaminare
- Català
- contaminar