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sully

 - 6 dictionary results

sul⋅ly

  [suhl-ee] verb, -lied, -ly⋅ing, noun, plural -lies.
–verb (used with object)
1. to soil, stain, or tarnish.
2. to mar the purity or luster of; defile: to sully a reputation.
–verb (used without object)
3. to become sullied, soiled, or tarnished.
–noun
4. Obsolete. a stain; soil.
Use sully in a Sentence
Origin:
1585–95; orig. uncert.

Related forms:
sul⋅li⋅a⋅ble, adjective

Synonyms:
1. taint, blemish, contaminate. 2. dirty, disgrace, dishonor.

Sul⋅ly

  [suhl-ee; for 1 also Fr. sy-lee]
–noun
1. Ma⋅xi⋅mi⋅lien de Bé⋅thune  [mak-see-mee-lyan duh bey-tyn] , Duc de, 1560–1641, French statesman.
2. Thomas, 1783–1872, U.S. painter, born in England.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To sully
sul·ly   (sŭl'ē)   
tr.v.   sul·lied, sul·ly·ing, sul·lies

  1. To mar the cleanness or luster of; soil or stain.

  2. To defile; taint.

n.   pl. sul·lies Archaic
Something that stains or spots.

[Probably from French souiller, from Old French; see soil2.]
Sul·ly   (sŭl'ē, sōō-lē', sü-)   
French politician. As chief minister to Henry IV, he replenished the treasury and encouraged agriculture and industry.
Sul·ly   (sŭl'ē)   
British-born American painter of portraits and historical scenes, such as Washington's Passage of the Delaware (c. 1818).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

sully 
1571 (implied in sulliedness), probably from M.Fr. souiller, from O.Fr. souillier "make dirty" (see soil (v.)).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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