contaminate

Meaning

Verb

1. (transitive) To make something dangerous or toxic by introducing impurities or foreign matter.
2. (transitive) To soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association.
3. (transitive) To make unfit for use by the introduction of unwholesome or undesirable elements.
4. (transitive) To infect, usually of a deadly virus.

Adj

1. (obsolete) Contaminated.
2. (figuratively, obsolete) Dirty, sinful, wicked, gross, etc.

Synonyms

pollute

infect

taint

corrupt

defile

make dirty

foul

dirty

soil

spoil

stain

infected

poison

ruin

dishonor

subvert

sullied

sully

tarnish

uncleanness

get dirty

infect with

scatter about

add-in

pollution

affect

bedaub

contamination

envenom

filthy

harm

inflect

litter

muddy

pervert

put in

seduce

smear

smirch

Translations

contaminer

contaminare

contaminar

contaminar

inquinare

infecter

verschmutzen

verunreinigen

polluer

μολύνω

ensuciar

vergiften

contaminar

beschmutzen

verseuchen

Pronounced as (IPA)

/kənˈtæmɪneɪt/

Etymology

First attested in the early 15ᵗʰ century, in Middle English; from Middle English contaminaten (“to defile; to infect with desease”), from contaminat(e) (“sullied, defiled; infected with desease”, also used as the past participle of contaminaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), from Latin contāminātus, the perfect passive participle of contāminō (“to touch together, blend, mingle, corrupt, defile”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), which see for further informations. More at taste, tax, and taxi.