taint
1a trace of something bad, offensive, or harmful.
a trace of infection, contamination, or the like.
a trace of dishonor or discredit.
Obsolete. color; tint.
to modify by or as if by a trace of something offensive or deleterious.
to infect, contaminate, corrupt, or spoil.
to sully or tarnish (a person's name, reputation, etc.).
Obsolete. to color or tint.
to become tainted; spoil.
Origin of taint
1Other words for taint
Other words from taint
- un·taint·ing, adjective
Other definitions for taint (2 of 2)
the area between the testicles or vulva and the anus; the perineum.
Origin of taint
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use taint in a sentence
That reality taints every facet of our existence, in Ferguson and beyond.
It's Not Just Teens Like Michael Brown—Even Small Black Children Are Suspect | Sally Kohn | August 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe BJP and friends have enough that taints them, in the killings in Mumbai in 1992–93 and Gujarat in 2002.
In some cases, suspicion taints multiple top-place finishers, making establishing true rankings a tough task.
In France, Decision Against Reviled Lance Armstrong New Doping Stain on Troubled Tour | Tracy McNicoll | August 24, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTOn the other hand, the rivalry which too often taints a money-making community has found its way here.
Lands of the Slave and the Free | Henry A. MurraySurely this traffic cannot be good, which spreads like a pestilence, and taints what it touches!
Kerosene taints the air, but is considered to be innocuous, and to drive away the curse of mosquitos.
Through the Malay Archipelago | Emily RichingsDebt is the prolific mother of folly and of crime; it taints the course of life in all its dreams.
Henrietta Temple | Benjamin DisraeliSoaking in whey, containing all its taints and impurities, is the source of a vast amount of foul rennet and off-flavored cheese.
Hints on Dairying | T. D. Curtis
British Dictionary definitions for taint
/ (teɪnt) /
to affect or be affected by pollution or contamination: oil has tainted the water
to tarnish (someone's reputation, etc)
a defect or flaw: a taint on someone's reputation
a trace of contamination or infection
Origin of taint
1Derived forms of taint
- taintless, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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