Synonyms of sullied

sullied 1 of 2

adjective

as in stained

not clean

lying in sullied bed linens that had not seen the inside of a washing machine for some time

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stained
• blackened
• filthy
• muddy
• dusty
• dirty
• black
• smudged
• nasty
• soiled
• messy
• sordid
• besmirched
• dingy
• polluted
• greasy
• grimy
• grubby
• unclean
• mucky
• befouled
• foul
• bedraggled
• grungy
• smutty
• begrimed
• sloppy
• grotty
• draggled
• uncleanly
• tainted
• contaminated
• cruddy
• chaotic
• messed
• littered
• bemired
• confused
• impure
• defiled
• unwashed
• unsanitary
• insanitary
• uncleaned
• cluttered
• muddled
• rumpled
• slovenly
• disordered
• jumbled
• disheveled
• unkempt
• untidy
• scruffy
• unsterilized
• unsterile
• shabby
• disarranged
• squalid
• raunchy
• disarrayed
• sooty
• germy
• sleazy
• mussed
• skanky
• gunky
• scuzzy
• mussy
• crocked
• collied
• fuliginous

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unsullied
• clean
• spotless
• immaculate
• unstained
• unsoiled
• pure
• stainless
• cleaned
• clear
• cleanly
• spick-and-span
• limpid
• ultraclean
• cleansed
• bleached
• neat
• orderly
• tidy
• groomed
• ordered
• combed
• purified
• whitened
• untouched
• perfect
• sparkling
• shiny
• unblemished
• flawless
• bright
• unspotted
• untainted
• wholesome
• unpolluted
• virgin
• undefiled
• taintless

sullied

2 of 2

verb

past tense of sully

as in blackened

to make dirty

people that sully our state parks with their trash

a once-gleaming marble interior sullied by decades of exposure to cigarette smoke

Synonyms & Similar Words

• stained
• blackened
• dirtied
• besmirched
• soiled
• smudged
• muddied
• messed
• befouled
• begrimed
• smirched
• grimed
• mired
• mucked
• daubed
• polluted
• tainted
• contaminated
• fouled
• distained
• bemired
• defiled
• gaumed
• discolored
• jumbled
• muddled
• disordered
• disarranged
• disheveled
• draggled
• confused
• disarrayed
• crocked
• collied

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• cleaned
• cleansed
• purified
• purged
• wiped
• washed
• swept
• decontaminated
• disinfected
• sanitized
• scrubbed
• brushed
• rinsed
• renewed
• dusted
• laundered
• brightened
• scoured
• mopped
• freshened
• straightened (up)
• dry-cleaned
• deodorized
• spruced (up)
• tidied (up)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sullied

Verb

He was accused of abusing boys, a charge that went unproven but sullied his reputation in Europe. —Amanda Rosa updated April 28, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026

But a battlefield promotion to Ayatollah was arranged, blending faith with politics in an exercise that critics said sullied both even before Khamenei reinforced his position by earthly means, elevating the IRGC. —Karl Vick, Time, 28 Feb. 2026

Revelations in 2020 that Boohoo’s Leicester contractors were subjecting their workers to exploitative pay and unsafe conditions certainly sullied the Midlands city’s reputation. —Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 6 Feb. 2026

The publicity emails sent from Amazon regarding the movie have no individual names or email addresses attached, as though no one wanted their career or personal brand sullied by association. —Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026

The Golden Globes are a pure and true celebration of artistry that stand for unflinching moral justice and should not be sullied by avarice! —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026

When stormwater dirtied by road runoff, failing septic tanks and fertilizer sullied crystal-clear rivers and lakes, and nobody cared. —Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026

The brewery’s brand has been sullied by Harvey Weinstein-level ick that the PR response so far has just made worse. —Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 31 Dec. 2025

Barrick’s North American operations have been sullied by the company’s exposure to higher-risk regions and separating the two would go a long way to close the valuation gap between Barrick and Agnico Eagle. —Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 6 Dec. 2025