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
Derived 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 2010 competition would later be tainted by a corruption scandal.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
In a rare move, Crenshaw dismissed the criminal indictment after declaring the prosecution against Abrego Garcia a blatantly tainted investigation “with a vindictive motive.”
From Slate • May 28, 2026
Proceeds of crimes laws apply in Scotland, and make provision for property in the hands of others to be treated as a "tainted gift" where it can be linked to criminal conduct.
From BBC • May 26, 2026
But aside from the tainted run in the second, they couldn’t break through against until the sixth.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026
Our whole relationship has been tainted by the Games.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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.
