as in polluted
containing foreign or lower-grade substances
tainted groundwater that is unfit to drink
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in poisoned
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
criticism of her sister's singing that was tainted by envy a tendency toward conceitedness taints the athlete's status as a role model
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in contaminated
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable
smog has long tainted the air of the city, making it difficult to breathe
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 tainted
Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
But Laos authorities have not given any indication of where and how tainted alcohol might have got into the supply chain.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 19 Dec. 2024
The effects of drinking raw milk tainted with bird flu are still uncertain.
—Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tainted
Adjective
But the property may not be usable for as many as two months due to tainted water and other issues.
—Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
But Laos authorities have not given any indication of where and how tainted alcohol might have got into the supply chain.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024
Verb
But the appeals court said the appearance of a conflict still tainted Willis’ handling of the case.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 19 Dec. 2024
The effects of drinking raw milk tainted with bird flu are still uncertain.
—Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tainted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tainted
Verb
-
Drugs, success, and conflicting personalities had poisoned members’ relationships.—
Aaron Gilbreath,
SPIN,
31 Dec. 2024
-
The iconic American bird was almost wiped out in the 1960s due to the pesticide DDT, which poisoned the eagles and made their eggs weak and flimsy.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
This represents a significant public health concern as the virus can spread to animals that consume contaminated products.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
2 Mar. 2025
-
The contaminated product should be thrown away or returned for a refund.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
But others argue these budget controls are ensuring Connecticut won’t return to the 2010s, a decade marred by frequent annual deficits and some of the largest tax hikes in state history.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
4 Jan. 2025
-
The couple welcomed two children, True, 6, and Tatum, 2, but their romance was marred by Thompson's multiple cheating scandals.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
For the first quarter of this year, the company projects sales growth in the range of 4 to 6 percent and net income per diluted share in the range of $1.25 to $1.45.—
David Moin,
WWD,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Losses per share widened to 64 cents on a diluted basis, from 3 cents in the year-earlier quarter.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Vinegar, which is really dilute acetic acid, will help the milk curdle by further denaturing the whey proteins and neutralizing negative charges at the surface of casein micelles.—
Liz Roth-Johnson,
Discover Magazine,
12 Feb. 2013
-
However toxic a substance may be, the amount of exposure received by the general population is very dilute.—
George Johnson,
Discover Magazine,
8 July 2013
Adjective
-
The company in 2020 pleaded guilty to distributing adulterated ice-cream products and agreed to pay a fine over the outbreak.—
Dylan Tokar,
WSJ,
2 Feb. 2023
-
And while most of those overdoses involved the illicit synthetic opioid fentanyl, experts say that an adulterated and contaminated drug supply is also leading to deaths.—
Nadia Kounang,
CNN,
17 Mar. 2022
Adjective
-
Builders are facing a challenging market with mixed economic signals.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
-
Anadolu | Getty Images Salesforce shares fell in extended trading Wednesday on mixed quarterly results and weak guidance.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tainted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tainted. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share