taint

verb

/teɪnt/

[often passive] (formal)

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they taint	/teɪnt/ /teɪnt/
he / she / it taints	/teɪnts/ /teɪnts/
past simple tainted	/ˈteɪntɪd/ /ˈteɪntɪd/
past participle tainted	/ˈteɪntɪd/ /ˈteɪntɪd/
-ing form tainting	/ˈteɪntɪŋ/ /ˈteɪntɪŋ/

jump to other results

to damage or harm the quality of something or the opinion that people have of somebody/something使腐坏；污染；玷污，败坏（名声）
- be tainted with something The administration was tainted with scandal.丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
- be tainted by something The courts were irredeemably tainted by past association with the military.法庭因过去与军方的联系而受到不可挽回的玷污。
Word OriginMiddle English (as a verb in the sense ‘convict, prove guilty’): partly from Old French teint ‘tinged’, based on Latin tingere ‘to dye, tinge’; partly a shortening of attaint.

noun

/teɪnt/

[usually singular] (formal)

jump to other results

the effect of something bad or unpleasant that damages or harms the quality of somebody/something腐坏；污染；玷污
- to be free from the taint of corruption不受腐败影响
- trying to save his son from the taint of prison试图把他的儿子从监狱的污点中拯救出来
Word OriginMiddle English (as a verb in the sense ‘convict, prove guilty’): partly from Old French teint ‘tinged’, based on Latin tingere ‘to dye, tinge’; partly a shortening of attaint.

TOEFL BNC: 14529 COCA: 11293

taint

To harm someone's reputation: discredit, slander, taint...