Synonyms

sullied

American

[suhl-eed] / ˈsʌl id /

adjective

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

the simple past tense and past participle of sully.

Other Word Forms

unsullied adjective

Etymology

Origin of sullied

sully + -ed ² ( def. )

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.

I had imagined that retirement would offer a life unshackled at last, a blissful new chapter in which workplace anxiety no longer sullied my contentment.

From The Wall Street Journal

But he has been tipped to potentially replace Thomas Tuchel as England boss after the World Cup and will not want his reputation sullied by a poor end to the season.

From Barron's

I'm not surprised to see air pollution, it's why we're doing the experiment, but I can't escape a feeling of being dirtied, contaminated… sullied by it.

From BBC

It fit me perfectly, sullied only by the despicable blue cockade I pinned to my breast.

From Literature

"I felt my reputation was sullied," he said.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023