maculate
Bearing visible blemishes
Maculate means stained, spotted, or impure—the opposite of immaculate.
The word appears mainly in technical contexts describing spotted patterns on animals or plants, or in literary usage suggesting moral blemish: a maculate reputation.
As a verb, to maculate is to spot or stain.
The word is rare outside formal or scientific writing.
Marked with irregular spots
- smudgedBlurred by contact
- discoloredChanged from original hue
- blemishedHaving visible defects
- soiledMade unclean
marked · splattered · smeared · blotted · tarnished · dingy · splotchy · streaked
Dotted with small marks
- mottledHaving irregular color patches
- dappledMarked with spots
- blotchyIrregularly marked with patches
- fleckedSpotted with small marks
variegated · piebald · pinto · brindled · stippled · freckled · pockmarked · dalmatian
Not wholly clean
- taintedContaminated, made impure
- sulliedMade morally unclean
- corruptedMade impure or dishonest
- contaminatedMade impure by contact
unclean · polluted · besmirched · desecrated · profaned · debased · violated · degraded
blotched
Marked with irregular spots
- smudgedBlurred by contact
- discoloredChanged from original hue
- blemishedHaving visible defects
soiled · marked · splattered · smeared · blotted · tarnished · dingy · splotchy · streaked · spotted
speckled
Dotted with small marks
flecked · variegated · piebald · pinto · brindled · stippled · freckled · pockmarked · dalmatian · leopard
impure
Not wholly clean
contaminated · unclean · polluted · besmirched · desecrated · profaned · debased · violated · degraded · adulterated
maculateimmaculate
Completely without blemish
spotless · unblemished · pristine · clean · unspotted
maculateimmaculate
Completely without blemish
pure · unsullied · unblemished · untainted · innocent
immaculate, macula, immaculately, immaculateness, maculae, immaculacy, maculation