dirtying
Adding grime to
Dirtying is making something dirty or soiled: The kids kept dirtying the floor with their muddy boots.
It extends to reputation or character—dirtying someone's name means tarnishing it through scandal or accusation.
The word also appears in sports contexts where aggressive play is involved: He's been dirtying up opponents all game.
Damaging purity or honor
- defilingCorrupting purity or sanctity
- besmirchingDamaging someone's reputation
- tarnishingOxidizing and losing shine
- corruptingCausing moral decay
debasing · soiling · marring · spoiling · blighting · desecrating · profaning · dishonoring
Making blurry marks
- spottingPerceiving or identifying visually
- blottingAbsorbing by pressing
- streakingRunning naked publicly
- discoloringAltering in hue
marking · splotching · speckling · spattering · daubing · smearing · splashing · dripping
Wet soil mixture
Making something impure
- foulingMaking something unclean
- taintingPolluting or corrupting
- toxinsHarmful biological substances
- emissionsSubstances released into air
smog · effluent · runoff · pesticides · industrial waste · oil spill · sewage · chemicals
Metal oxidation process
- oxidizingCombining with oxygen
- tarnishingOxidizing and losing shine
- corrodingDeteriorating through chemical action
- discoloringAltering in hue
patina · verdigris · deteriorating · pitting · weathering · eroding · dulling · aging
sullying
Damaging purity or honor
- defilingCorrupting purity or sanctity
- besmirchingDamaging someone's reputation
- tarnishingOxidizing and losing shine
corrupting · debasing · soiling · marring · spoiling · blighting · desecrating · profaning · dishonoring · muddying
smudging
Making blurry marks
- spottingPerceiving or identifying visually
- blottingAbsorbing by pressing
- streakingRunning naked publicly
discoloring · marking · splotching · speckling · spattering · daubing · smearing · splashing · dripping · dye
mud
Wet soil mixture
grease · grit · muck · sludge · silt · crud · gunk · residue · grime · ash
contaminating
Making something impure
emissions · smog · effluent · runoff · pesticides · industrial waste · oil spill · sewage · chemicals · microplastics
rusting
Metal oxidation process
- oxidizingCombining with oxygen
- tarnishingOxidizing and losing shine
- corrodingDeteriorating through chemical action
discoloring · patina · verdigris · deteriorating · pitting · weathering · eroding · dulling · aging · decay
dirtyingcleaning
Removing dirt and mess
cleansing · washing · scrubbing · tidying · sanitizing
dirtyingpurifying
Removing unwanted substances
purification · cleansing · sanctifying · catharsis · redeeming
dirtyingpurifying
Removing unwanted substances
purification · cleansing · catharsis · decontaminating · sterilizing