POLLUTE Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'pollute' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of pollute are contaminate , defile , and taint . While all these words mean "to make impure or unclean," pollute , sometimes interchangeable with contaminate , distinctively may imply that the process which begins with contamination is complete and that what was pure or clean has been made foul, poisoned, or filthy. // the polluted waters of the river

Q: When can 'contaminate' be used instead of 'pollute'?

The words contaminate and pollute can be used in similar contexts, but contaminate implies intrusion of or contact with dirt or foulness from an outside source. // water contaminated by industrial wastes

Q: When is 'defile' a more appropriate choice than 'pollute'?

The words defile and pollute are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, defile implies befouling of what could or should have been kept clean and pure or held sacred and commonly suggests violation or desecration. // defile a hero's memory with slanderous innuendo

Q: When is it sensible to use 'taint' instead of 'pollute'?

The synonyms taint and pollute are sometimes interchangeable, but taint stresses the loss of purity or cleanliness that follows contamination. // tainted meat // a politician's tainted reputation

pollute

verb

pə-ˈlüt

Definition of pollute next

as in to contaminate

to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable outmoded factories polluting the air

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How does the verb pollute contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of pollute are contaminate, defile, and taint. While all these words mean "to make impure or unclean," pollute, sometimes interchangeable with contaminate, distinctively may imply that the process which begins with contamination is complete and that what was pure or clean has been made foul, poisoned, or filthy.

the polluted waters of the river

When can contaminate be used instead of pollute?

The words contaminate and pollute can be used in similar contexts, but contaminate implies intrusion of or contact with dirt or foulness from an outside source.

water contaminated by industrial wastes

When is defile a more appropriate choice than pollute?

The words defile and pollute are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, defile implies befouling of what could or should have been kept clean and pure or held sacred and commonly suggests violation or desecration.

defile a hero's memory with slanderous innuendo

When is it sensible to use taint instead of pollute?

The synonyms taint and pollute are sometimes interchangeable, but taint stresses the loss of purity or cleanliness that follows contamination.

tainted meat

a politician's tainted reputation

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of pollute People of color like him and his family worked and lived surrounded by the industries that polluted their air, and many still do. —

Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026 Decades of such spills and gas flares polluted and degraded the natural environment, while successive Nigerian governments failed to develop our economies. —

Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026 This 2-mile stretch of embankment once channeled 43,000 cars across the city daily, polluting the air and assailing landmarks such as the Louvre and the Pont Neuf with noise and vibration. —

Marie Patino, Bloomberg, 20 Mar. 2026 Following the legal order to stop polluting, the state issued DTE four more air quality violations. —

CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pollute

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pollute

Verb

In the early 1990s, what is now Atlantic Station was Atlantic Steel, an all but abandoned 138-acre industrial site so contaminated it was designated a brownfield by the federal government.

— Jay Bookman, AJC.com, 1 Apr. 2026
For example, milk can be contaminated by manure or environmental filth, infections of the udder such as mastitis or from surfaces during the milking process.

— Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026

Definition of contaminate

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pollutants

pollute

polluted

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“Pollute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollute. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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Synonyms of pollute

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