tainted
Spoiled by contamination
Tainted means contaminated, spoiled, or corrupted.
Food becomes tainted when bacteria grow in it.
Evidence is tainted when improperly handled.
A reputation is tainted by scandal.
The word suggests something once pure or acceptable has been compromised: tainted water, tainted money, tainted love.
What's tainted isn't necessarily ruined, but its integrity is now in question.
Not wholly clean
- sinfulViolating moral law
- corruptedMade impure or dishonest
- defiledMade foul or impure
- fallenHaving dropped down
debased · degraded · unwholesome · wicked · polluted · soiled · unclean · profane
Made impure by contact
- spoiledRuined or overindulged
- poisonedMade toxic intentionally
- adulteratedDiluted with inferior substances
- infectedInvaded by pathogens
toxic · rancid · impure · unsafe · bacteria · pathogen · germs · virus
Brought into shame
- discreditedProven unworthy of trust
- dishonoredBrought shame upon
- scandalizedDeeply offended morally
- smearedSpread carelessly across
besmirched · tarnished · stigmatized · defamed · shamed · ruined · damaged · blackened
Made vulnerable to harm
- inadmissibleNot allowed as evidence
- contaminatedMade impure by contact
- mishandledManaged incompetently
- corruptedMade impure or dishonest
tampered · unreliable · questionable · flawed · biased · prejudiced · manipulated · poisoned
Dishonest abuse of power
- briberyCorrupt payment for influence
- scandalDisgraceful public affair
- kickbackIllegal payment for services
- graftIllicit political gain
fraud · embezzlement · nepotism · extortion · malfeasance · crooked · shady · underhanded
impure
Not wholly clean
fallen · debased · degraded · unwholesome · wicked · polluted · soiled · unclean · profane · desecrated
contaminated
Made impure by contact
- spoiledRuined or overindulged
- poisonedMade toxic intentionally
- adulteratedDiluted with inferior substances
infected · toxic · rancid · impure · unsafe · bacteria · pathogen · germs · virus · toxin
disgraced
Brought into shame
- discreditedProven unworthy of trust
- dishonoredBrought shame upon
- scandalizedDeeply offended morally
smeared · besmirched · tarnished · stigmatized · defamed · shamed · ruined · damaged · blackened · sullied
compromised
Made vulnerable to harm
- inadmissibleNot allowed as evidence
- contaminatedMade impure by contact
- mishandledManaged incompetently
corrupted · tampered · unreliable · questionable · flawed · biased · prejudiced · manipulated · poisoned · invalid
corruption
Dishonest abuse of power
- briberyCorrupt payment for influence
- scandalDisgraceful public affair
- kickbackIllegal payment for services
graft · fraud · embezzlement · nepotism · extortion · malfeasance · crooked · shady · underhanded · illicit
- decayrot, decay rate, wilt, crumble, decomposition
- moral judgmentsgood, evil, wicked, virtuous, moral
- spoiledrotten, rotted, rotting, spoiled, spoiling
- spoiled foodrotting, molding, spoiling, decaying, rancid
- taintedcontaminated, corrupted, polluted, poisoned, impure
- purity gradespure, impure, purified, refined, unrefined
taintedpure
Unmixed, without impurities
untainted · clean · pristine · uncontaminated · spotless
taintedpure
Unmixed, without impurities
untainted · innocent · unblemished · uncorrupted · virtuous
- Tainted LoveCorrupted romantic attachment
- tainted bloodBlood unsafe for transfusion
- tainted meat
- tainted evidenceLegally compromised courtroom materials