sullied

[suhl-eed]

adjective

1. soiled, stained, or tarnished.

   He was above the sullied reputations of some party members, who were thought to be corrupt, greedy, and arrogant.

   To a lover of reading, how beautiful are the sullied pages and worn-out appearance of a well-used book!

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of sully.

Other Word Forms

• unsullied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sullied¹

sully + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

We will all be watching closely to see whether the event is sullied by New York fans who carry the reputation of being the most partisan of American sporting supporters.

From BBC

But his reputation as a darling of the progressive movement was sullied in 2022 when the New York Times published an expose detailing an alleged history of abusing women — accusations he has denied.

From Los Angeles Times

"Investors heard more explicit details regarding the Trump tariff agenda, which sullied the market mood somewhat."

From BBC

The incident — which revived memories of a massive 3-million-gallon spill almost 50 years earlier — sullied some of the state’s most pristine beaches and a rare stretch of undeveloped coastline.

From Los Angeles Times

There is no doubt that the crackdown has sullied the image of the president.

From BBC

Related Words

• contaminated www.thesaurus.com
• crummy 
• disheveled 
• dusty 
• filthy 
• greasy 
• grimy 
• messy 
• muddy 
• murky 
• nasty 
• polluted 
• sloppy 
• stained www.thesaurus.com
• unkempt