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• sully
  sully

  verb (used with object)

  to soil, stain, or tarnish.
• Sully
  Sully

  noun

  Maximilien de Béthune Duc de, 1560–1641, French statesman.

sully

¹ American  

[suhl-ee] / ˈsʌl i /

verb (used with object)

sullied, sullying

1. to soil, stain, or tarnish.

   Synonyms:

   contaminate, blemish, taint

2. to mar the purity or luster of; defile.

   to sully a reputation.

   Synonyms:

   dishonor, disgrace, dirty

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verb (used without object)

sullied, sullying

1. to become sullied, soiled, or tarnished.

noun

plural

sullies

1. Obsolete. a stain; soil.

Sully ² American  

[suhl-ee, sy-lee] / ˈsʌl i, süˈli /

noun

1. Maximilien de Béthune Duc de, 1560–1641, French statesman.

2. Thomas, 1783–1872, U.S. painter, born in England.

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sully ¹ British  

/ ˈsʌlɪ /

verb

1. to stain or tarnish (a reputation, etc) or (of a reputation) to become stained or tarnished

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noun

1. a stain

2. the act of sullying

Sully ² British  

/ sylli, ˈsʌlɪ /

noun

1. Maximilien de Béthune (maksimiljɛ̃ də betyn), Duc de Sully. 1559–1641, French statesman; minister of Henry IV. He helped restore the finances of France after the Wars of Religion

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Other Word Forms

• sulliable
  adjective
• unsulliable
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of sully

First recorded in 1585–95; origin uncertain

Explanation

To sully is to attack someone's good name and to try to ruin his reputation. If you spread false rumors that there's chicken stock in the vegetarian entree at Joe's Diner, you would sully Joe's good reputation. Sully can also mean to tarnish or make spotty. It's easy to remember this meaning when you know that sully comes from the Middle French word souiller, meaning, "make dirty." For example, dripping chocolate sauce onto the table will sully your mother's new white tablecloth. Another meaning of sully is to corrupt or cast suspicion on. If an automaker recalls millions of vehicles due to safety problems, it doesn't exactly inspire confidence — in fact, it may sully their brand.

Example Sentences

The film once again stars Zoe Saldaña as Na'vi warrior Neytiri and and Sam Worthington as ex-Marine Jake Sully, who have to fight off a new enemy after threats to their family's life on Pandora.

From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025

The movie once again stars Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington as Na'vi warrior Neytiri and ex-Marine Jake Sully, who must battle a new foe threatening their family's life on Pandora.

From Barron's • Dec. 21, 2025

On the day of the fire, Michael-Nolhan Morales, who lives in an adjacent apartment building, said his St. Bernard named Sully knew something was amiss even before the first flames were visible.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 3, 2025

Bones were then unearthed in Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan before more footprints were found at The Bendricks near Barry and Sully - now a site of special scientific and paleontological interest.

From BBC • Aug. 16, 2024

Neither of them moved for so long that Sully and Anton quieted down.

From "A Monster Calls" by Patrick Ness

Related Words

• besmirch
• blacken
• corrupt
• debase
• defile
• discolor
• disgrace
• dishonor
• smear
• smudge
• taint
• tar
• tarnish