sully

/'sʌli/
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Definition
  1. Verb:
    • To damage or tarnish the purity, integrity, or reputation of someone or something: This is the primary meaning, referring to making something morally or physically unclean, often in a metaphorical sense.
    • To make dirty or stained: A more literal meaning, though less common, referring to physically soiling something.
Usage
  • Sully is a transitive verb, meaning it requires a direct object (e.g., sully a reputation, sully a name).
  • It is often used in formal or literary contexts to describe the act of tarnishing honor, innocence, or a previously clean record.
  • The object is typically an abstract concept like a reputation, image, honor, or memory.
Examples
  • Verb:
    • The scandal threatened to sully the company's century-old reputation for integrity.
    • He did not want to sully the happy memory of their vacation with an argument.
    • The politician accused the media of trying to sully his good name with baseless allegations.
Advanced Usage
  • "to sully oneself": to compromise one's own morals or purity.
    • The idealistic lawyer refused to sully herself by using underhanded tactics.
  • Often used in the passive voice to emphasize the effect on the thing being tarnished.
    • Her legacy was forever sullied by the accusations.
Variants and Related Words
  • Sullied (adj): Describing something that has been tarnished or dirtied.
    • He tried to restore his sullied reputation.
  • Unsullied (adj): Pure, not tarnished or spoiled.
    • She maintained an unsullied record of public service.
Synonyms
  • Tarnish: To dull the luster of; to detract from the quality of.
  • Defile: To make unclean or impure, especially in a moral sense.
  • Besmirch: To damage the reputation of someone or something in the opinion of others.
  • Stain: To bring disgrace or dishonor upon; to spot or soil.
Antonyms
  • Purify: To make pure; to cleanse.
  • Honor: To regard or treat with honor or respect.
  • Cleanse: To make clean.
Related Idioms and Phrases
  • "Sully one's hands": To become involved in something dishonest or morally questionable.
    • He refused to sully his hands with the corrupt dealings of the industry.
Noun
  1. French statesman (1560-1641)
  2. United States painter (born in England) of portraits and historical scenes (1783-1872)
Verb
  1. charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone
    • The journalists have defamed me! The article in the paper sullied my reputation
  2. make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically
    • The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air
    • Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man
  3. place under suspicion or cast doubt upon
    • sully someone's reputation

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