sully

IPA/ˈsʌli/
KK[sˈʌli]IPA/ˈsʌli/

sully — verb

  • sullypresent simple I / you / we / they
  • sullieshe / she / it
  • sulliedpast simple
  • sullying-ing form

1. to damage the respected, clean, or admirable quality of something, especially a

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to damage the respected, clean, or admirable quality of something, especially a person's name, image, or honor

Example

The cheating scandal sullied the school's good name across the town.

collocation: sully a good name

João feared the rumor would sully the family's good name.

Common collocations
  • sully a name
  • sully a reputation
  • sully an image
  • sully a memory
Synonyms
  • taint

    broader and can describe moral, physical, or emotional corruption

  • tarnish

    often milder and very common for damaging a reputation

  • blacken

    strongly stresses ruining someone's good name in public

Antonyms
  • honor

    emphasizes giving respect rather than harming it

  • cleanse

    suggests removing moral or symbolic damage

Grammar Patterns

sully + name / reputation / image

sully + memory / celebration

Usage Note

Usually used in formal writing or serious speech. The object is often an abstract thing that should remain respected or untarnished, such as a reputation, a memory, or a public image.

Common Mistakes

The muddy shoes sullied the carpet.
The muddy shoes stained the carpet.
this sense is for harming honor or image, not for an ordinary dirty mark on a surface.

2. to leave dirt, smoke, grease, or other marks on something so that it no longer l

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to leave dirt, smoke, grease, or other marks on something so that it no longer looks clean

Example

Mud from the yard sullied the kitchen floor before dinner.

pattern: sully + surface

Greasy fingerprints sullied the glass door of the new shop.

Common collocations
  • sully a wall
  • sully a cloth
  • sully a floor
  • sullied by smoke
Synonyms
  • stain

    more common for leaving a mark that is hard to remove

  • soil

    formal and often used for making something unclean

  • smear

    focuses on spreading a dirty substance across a surface

Antonyms
  • clean

    means to remove dirt or marks

  • polish

    suggests restoring a clean, shiny surface

Grammar Patterns

sully + cloth / wall / floor

be sullied by + mud / smoke / grease

Usage Note

This literal sense is quite formal and sounds stronger than everyday words like dirty or stain. It usually suggests visible smears or dark marks, not a light layer of ordinary dust.

Common Mistakes

A little dust sullied the shelf.
A little dust made the shelf dirty.
'sully' usually suggests a more visible mark or smear than ordinary dust.

sully — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Sully' is a formal word for harming something that ought to stay respected, clean, or admirable. It is often used with reputation, name, image, and memory. 'Tarnish' is more common and usually sounds a little milder, especially in news writing about reputation. 'Taint' is broader: it can describe moral corruption, unfair influence, or even contaminated food or water. 'Stain' can also be used metaphorically for reputation, but it strongly keeps the picture of a visible mark. A scandal may tarnish a minister's image, while a cruel lie can sully a family's good name.

sully ↗tarnish ↗taint ↗stain ↗

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

Sully entered English from French in the sixteenth century. The French verb meant to dirty or defile, which explains both the literal sense of leaving marks on a surface and the figurative sense of damaging a person's good name.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined above Noun