polluted

/pəˈluː.tɪd/ (bre, ipa) · /pəˈluː.t̬ɪd/ (ame, ipa)

polluted — adjective

  • pollutedpositive
  • more pollutedcomparative
  • most pollutedsuperlative

1. describes air, water, or land that has been made dirty or dangerous because harm

1.形容詞B1
釋義

describes air, water, or land that has been made dirty or dangerous because harmful chemicals, waste, or other unwanted substances have been added to it.

例句

The river near the factory is so polluted that no fish can live there anymore.

so + adjective + that-clause for result

Many children in the city suffer from breathing problems caused by polluted air.

collocation: polluted air / polluted water

同義詞
  • contaminated

    more specific; often refers to germs or invisible chemicals (e.g. contaminated water after a flood)

  • dirty

    broader and less formal; can describe anything soiled, not necessarily with an environmental danger

  • toxic

    specifically poisonous or harmful if touched or swallowed (e.g. toxic waste)

反義詞
  • clean
  • pure

    suggests no harmful substances at all

文法句型

be + polluted

polluted + noun

be + adverb + polluted (e.g. heavily polluted)

用法筆記

Commonly paired with intensifying adverbs such as 'heavily', 'badly', and 'highly'. Frequently combines with nouns for natural resources: 'polluted water', 'polluted air', 'polluted soil', 'polluted environment'.

常見錯誤

❌The river is very pollution.
✅The river is very polluted.
💡'pollution' is a noun; 'polluted' is the adjective form.
❌The polluting air makes me cough.
✅The polluted air makes me cough.
💡use the past participle (-ed) as an adjective, not the present participle (-ing).

2. describes something that has lost its original good quality or purity because of

2.形容詞B2
釋義

describes something that has lost its original good quality or purity because of an unwanted external influence — for example, a relationship, a person's mind, or a moral atmosphere that has been spoiled by a bad element.

例句

Élise felt that the political debate was polluted by personal attacks and lies.

passive: be + polluted + by + agent

The children's minds became polluted after they spent hours watching violent shows.

同義詞
  • corrupted

    similar in meaning but often carries a stronger moral judgment (e.g. a corrupted official)

  • tainted

    suggests a slight or gradual spoiling, not necessarily total corruption (e.g. tainted reputation)

  • poisoned

    figurative use describing slow damage done by a bad influence (e.g. a poisoned relationship)

反義詞
  • pure
  • unspoiled

    suggests something that has kept its original good quality

文法句型

be + polluted + by + noun phrase

become + polluted

用法筆記

This figurative sense appears mostly in formal or literary writing. The cause of the corruption is typically introduced by 'by': 'polluted by greed' or 'polluted by violence'. In everyday conversation, 'spoiled' or 'ruined' is more natural.

常見錯誤

❌The party was polluted by bad music.' (too dramatic for a casual complaint)
✅The party was ruined by bad music.
💡the figurative sense of 'polluted' is formal or literary; 'ruined' or 'spoiled' works better in everyday speech.
❌His mind was pollution by bad ideas.
✅His mind was polluted by bad ideas.
💡use the adjective 'polluted', not the noun 'pollution'.