taint
Translation
to taint, to contaminate, to tarnish
Examples
The water was tainted with chemicals.
The water was tainted with chemicals.
The scandal tainted his reputation.
The scandal tainted his reputation.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) ((with sth.)) to contaminate (sth.) with (sth.) The water was tainted with chemicals.
((sth.)) to damage the good quality or reputation of (sth.) The scandal tainted his reputation.
Similar Words
Synonyms: contaminate, pollute, spoil, corrupt; Antonyms: purify, cleanse, enhance
Etymology
From Old French 'teindre' (to dye, to stain), from Latin 'tingere'.
Memory Tips
Think of a single drop of 'paint' or ink tainting a whole glass of clear water. It implies a small bad thing spoiling the whole.