sully

1 of 2

verb

sul·​ly ˈsə-lē 

sullied; sullying

transitive verb

: to make soiled or tarnished : defile

sully

2 of 2

noun

plural sullies

archaic

: soil, stain

Synonyms

Verb

• befoul
• begrime
• bemire
• besmirch
• blacken
• daub
• dirty
• distain [archaic]
• foul
• gaum [dialect]
• grime
• mire
• muck
• muddy
• smirch
• smudge
• soil
• stain

Examples of sully in a Sentence

Verb

people that sully our state parks with their trash

a once-gleaming marble interior sullied by decades of exposure to cigarette smoke

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The behavior of those dupes sullied the reputation of the U.S. Open, a venerable tournament that next year will be played for the 125th time. —Washington Post, 21 June 2024

The protests have halted sporting events, sullied famous works of art, and caused traffic jams. —Brian Melley, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 June 2024

Already beset by an array of problems, the Euphrates and Tigris have been dirtied with corpses, sullied with munitions waste, and littered with defunct water infrastructure over the past three years. —Peter Schwartzstein, Foreign Affairs, 7 Apr. 2017

The game's character list and creative moves are highlights, but they're sullied by imprecise fighting and money-grabbing F2P hooks. —PCMAG, 30 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English *sullien, probably alteration (influenced by Anglo-French suillier, soiller to soil) of sulen to soil, from Old English sylian

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1601, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

sully

verb

sul·​ly

ˈsəl-ē

sullied; sullying

: to make soiled or tarnished

Biographical Definition

Sully 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Sul·​ly ˈsə-lē 

(ˌ)sə-ˈlē,

sᵫ-ˈlē

Duc de 1560–1641 Maximilien de Béthune Baron de Rosny də-rō-ˈnē  French statesman

Sully

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Sul·​ly ˈsə-lē 

Thomas 1783–1872 American (English-born) painter