polluted

[puh-loo-tid]

adjective

1. made unclean or impure; contaminated; tainted.

   swimming in polluted waters.

2. Slang.,  drunk.

polluted

/ pəˈluːtɪd /

adjective

1. made unclean or impure; contaminated

2. slang,  intoxicated; drunk

Other Word Forms

• pollutedness noun
• unpolluted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of polluted¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; pollute, -ed ²

Example Sentences

The dam collapse killed 19 people, polluted the river and destroyed hundreds of homes.

Read more on BBC

The failure of the mine-waste dam and resulting mudslide near the town of Mariana killed 19 people and polluted more than 400 miles of rivers.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The United Nations children's agency warns that polluted air puts children at heightened risk of acute respiratory infections.

Read more on Barron's

But it’s the lack of transparency and the 11-month delay in reporting the reading that has fomented community mistrust and raised questions regarding the military’s competency to safely clean up the polluted shipyard.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Central Asia is also one of the world's most polluted regions and hardest hit by climate change.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• awful 
• dirty 
• fierce 
• horrible 
• icky 
• murderous 
• noxious 
• obnoxious 
• ornery 
• outrageous 
• rough 
• tough 
• unpleasant 
• vile 
• vulgar