Nearby Words
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.
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Sully
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is lollygag. Does it mean:
| to expurgate (a written work) by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable. |
| to spend time idly; loaf. |
noun
4.
Obsolete. a stain; soil.
Origin:
1585–95; origin uncertain
1585–95; origin uncertain
Related forms
sul·li·a·ble, adjective
un·sul·li·a·ble, adjective
un·sul·lied, adjective
Synonyms
1. taint, blemish, contaminate. 2. dirty, disgrace, dishonor.
1. taint, blemish, contaminate. 2. dirty, disgrace, dishonor.
Example Sentences
- Bad news, it was thought, would discourage foreign investment and sully the image of the capital.
- They don't want to sully their hands with learning that the truth is more complex and uglier than they wish it to be.
- They were accompanied by changes in the law designed to ensure that no conviction would ever sully his name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
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Link To sully
Collins
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
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, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Cite This Source
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