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
Examples 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
Ronda Racha Penrice, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 2025
When people consume the tainted water, the larvae mature inside the body, growing to about 3 feet long.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 31 Dec. 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
Transferring that depth to television, particularly to predominantly Black characters in a Caribbean country, especially one as fabled as Jamaica, to confront the tyranny of homophobia while also sustaining a conversation with the U.K. about its tainted legacy of colonialism, is bold and visionary.
—Ronda Racha Penrice, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Jan. 2025
When people consume the tainted water, the larvae mature inside the body, growing to about 3 feet long.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 31 Dec. 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
-
In fact, boiling contaminated water can exacerbate the problem by breaking open the bacteria and releasing more toxins.—
Raul A. Reyes,
Newsweek,
22 Jan. 2025
-
However, some illegitimate brands may sell contaminated or mislabeled products.—
Rowan Briggs,
The Mercury News,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
Before pruning the rest of the tree, sanitize your pruners by dipping the blades into a diluted bleach solution or a cup of 70% isopropyl alcohol.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Jan. 2025
-
Unlike human identities managed by centralized IAM systems, NHIs are often created ad hoc by various teams, leading to inconsistent governance and diluted accountability.—
Gregory Webb,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 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
-
Social media reacted with mixed commentary about the sensitive topic of colorism.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
22 Jan. 2025
-
Despite optimism from the companies involved, as CNN reports, past presidential investment announcements have yielded mixed results.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
22 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near tainted
Cite this Entry
“Tainted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tainted. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share