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Contaminate vs Sully - What's the difference?

contaminate | sully | Synonyms |

In transitive terms the difference between contaminate and sully

is that contaminate is to soil or corrupt by contact; to tarnish; to pollute while sully is to damage or corrupt.

contaminate

English

Verb

(contaminat)
  • To introduce impurities or foreign matter to.
  • Do not contaminate the peanut butter with the jelly.
    This water is contaminated . It isn't safe to drink.
  • To soil or corrupt by contact; to tarnish; to pollute.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Shall we now / Contaminate our figures with base bribes?
  • * Goldsmith
  • I would neither have simplicity imposed upon, nor virtue contaminated .
  • * '>citation
  • sully

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (l)

    Verb

  • to soil or stain; to dirty
  • He did not wish to sully his hands with gardening.
  • * Roscommon
  • statues sullied yet with sacrilegious smoke
  • to damage or corrupt
  • He did not wish to sully his reputation with an ill-mannered comment.
  • * Atterbury
  • no spots to sully the brightness of this solemnity
  • To become soiled or tarnished.
  • * Francis Bacon
  • Silvering will sully and canker more than gilding.