Synonyms for sully
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Besmirch — to corrupt or damage
besmirch, tarnish, smear, denigrate, defame, disgrace, dirty, spoil, debase, cloud, discredit, blemish, disparage, blacken, shame, vilify, revile, malign, spot, injure, foul, befoul
Definitions
- v. 1
To soil or stain; to dirty.
He did not wish to sully his hands with gardening.
- v. 2
To corrupt or damage.
She tried to sully her rival’s reputation with a suggestive comment.
- v. 3
To become soiled or tarnished.
Forms
- Past participle
- sullied
e.g. sullied → besmirched, tarnished, smeared, denigrated…
Example sentences
- smear Will I be tested for chlamydia during my smear test?
- tarnish Sami was trying to tarnish Layla's reputation.
- denigrate Some translate while others denigrate.
- besmirch That news will besmirch his reputation for honesty.
- contaminate Cars with heat engines contaminate a lot.
- defile I can't believe you would defile a gravestone!
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| sully | rising | |
| smear | rising | |
| tarnish | steady | |
| denigrate | rising | |
| besmirch | rising | |
| contaminate | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- spot1, soil1, foul1, foil1, blur1, slur1, blot1, smut1, daub1
- 5 letters
- dirty2, cloud1, shame1, spoil1, stain1, smear1, taint1
- 6 letters
- injure2, darken2, smudge1, malign2, defile, defame2, smooch1, vilify3, debase2, revile2, befoul, smouch, scunge, bedaub
- 7 letters
- corrupt2, tarnish2, blemish2, pollute2, blacken2, besully, bedizen3, begrime
- 8 letters
- disgrace2, discolor3, besmirch, maculate
- 9 letters
- discredit3, denigrate3, disparage3, discolour, inquinate
- 11 letters
- contaminate4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (dirty2 = 2 syllables).