tainted
Americanadjective
-
infected, contaminated, corrupted, or spoiled.
An outbreak of salmonella poisoning linked to eating tainted ground turkey has resulted in several deaths.
-
affected by a trace of something bad, offensive, or harmful.
We strongly urge you to distance your charitable organization from this discredited project and its tainted money.
-
(of the name, reputation, etc., of a person or group) sullied or tarnished.
Having such a program available to these students could help fix the tainted reputation many feel our school has earned.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tainted
Explanation
If something's tainted, it's ruined or spoiled. If you leave milk on the counter overnight, it could be tainted. But a charity that uses its funds to buy board members tropical vacations could also be considered tainted. The adjective tainted describes a person or thing that's been touched by rot or corruption. Many think that young minds can become morally tainted by violence on TV. If evidence at a crime scene is handled improperly, it could be considered tainted and can't be used at trial. You've probably heard about foods like spinach and peanut butter being recalled because they have been potentially tainted with salmonella.
Vocabulary lists containing tainted
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Although Allen and the original series’ head writer, Susan Fales-Hill, shaped the show into the version considered a sitcom classic, Bill Cosby’s creator credit tainted its reputation.
From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026
In it he argued that all Western literature and art about the Islamic world is tainted by imperial power and its projected fantasies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
But the Japanese method involves removing that tainted water and replacing it with a fresh batch.
From Barron's ● Sep. 6, 2026
In a victim impact statement, Morgan's mother Marie Smith said the family now "lives under a shadow", with every major milestone "tainted" without her present.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
We had not only lost our childhood in the war but our lives had been tainted by the same experiences that still caused us great pain and sadness.
From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
