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.
The chain convened late-night meetings to coordinate response and pull potentially tainted lettuce from hundreds of locations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
Australia denounced Laos' response to a 2024 tainted alcohol poisoning that killed six tourists, saying Friday it is "bitterly disappointed" the country is not pressing stronger charges.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Attorneys for the owners of the landfill, which stopped accepting trash last year, claimed this spring in the litigation that the lawsuits may be tainted by fraud.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
"It doesn't really surprise me at all that the Church was involved. There's very little that we inherit that isn't tainted by historic injustice somewhere along the line," he says.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
I arched away and rubbed my grazed cheek as though it were tainted.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Definitions 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.
