taint
Translation
to taint, to contaminate, to spoil, to stain
Examples
The scandal tainted his reputation.
The scandal tainted his reputation.
The water was tainted with chemicals.
The water was tainted with chemicals.
Grammar Patterns
((sth.)) to spoil or damage (sth.) The scandal tainted his reputation.
((sth.)) ((with sth.)) to contaminate (sth.) with (sth.) The water was tainted with chemicals.
Similar Words
Synonyms: contaminate, pollute, corrupt, spoil; Antonyms: purify, cleanse
Etymology
From Old French 'teindre' (to dye, stain), from Latin 'tingere' (to dye, colour). The sense shifted from colouring to spoiling.
Memory Tips
It sounds like 'paint' with a 't'. Imagine something being 'painted' with a harmful substance, thus tainting it.