taint

v., taint·ed, taint·ing, taints.

v.tr.

1. To affect with or as if with a disease.
2. To affect with decay or putrefaction; spoil. See synonyms at contaminate.
3. To corrupt morally.
4. To affect with a tinge of something reprehensible.

v.intr.
To become affected with decay or putrefaction; spoil.

n.

1. A moral defect considered as a stain or spot. See synonyms at stain.
2. An infecting touch, influence, or tinge.

[Partly from obsolete taynt, to color, dye (from Anglo-Norman teint, from past participle of teindre , from Latin tingere), and partly from Middle English tainten, to convict (short for atteinten , from Old French ataint, past participle of ataindre, to attain, touch upon; see attain).]

taintless taint'less adj.
taintlessly taint'less·ly adv.
taintlessness taint'less·ness n.

verb

1. To become or cause to become rotten or unsound: break down, decay, decompose, deteriorate, disintegrate, molder, putrefy, rot, spoil, turn. Idioms: go bad, go to pot, go to seed. See better/worse, thrive/fail/exist.
2. To make morally impure: contaminate, corrupt, defile, infect, pollute, soil. See clean/dirty.
3. To contaminate the reputation of: befoul, besmear, besmirch, bespatter, blacken, cloud, denigrate, dirty, smear, smudge, smut, soil, spatter, stain, sully, tarnish. Idioms: give a black eye to, slingthrowmud on. See attack/defend, clean/dirty.

noun

A mark of discredit or disgrace: black eye, blemish, blot, onus, spot, stain, stigma, tarnish. Archaic attaint. Idioms: a blot on one's escutcheon. See marks, respect/contempt/standing.

n

Definition: contamination, corruption
Antonyms: cleanliness, perfection

v

Definition: dirty, contaminate; ruin
Antonyms: clean, right

---

An unpleasant odor and flavor in a human foodstuff of animal origin. Caused by the ingestion of the substance, commonly a plant such as Hexham scent, or while in storage, e.g. milk stored with pineapples, or as a result of animal metabolism, e.g. boar taint.

IN BRIEF: To touch or affect slightly with something bad.

...if I know my heart, my gratitude is free from any taint of personal triumph. I do not impugn the motives of any one opposed to me. — Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), U.S. president.

Dansk (Danish)
n. - besmittelse, inficering, fordærvelse
v. tr. - smitte, befænge, gøre uren, inficere, fordærve
v. intr. - blive fordærvet, blive smittet

Nederlands (Dutch)
bederven, bezoedelen, smet

Français (French)
n. - souillure, tare, trace
v. tr. - souiller, entacher, polluer, gâter (viande)
v. intr. - se décolorer, se gâter

Deutsch (German)
v. - verderben, beschmutzen
n. - Fleck, Makel, Fäulnis

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - μιαίνω, μολύνω/-ομαι, κηλιδώνω, σπιλώνω, ατιμάζω
n. - κηλίδα, μόλυνση, μίασμα, ίχνος

Italiano (Italian)
marcire, corrompersi, guastarsi, inquinarsi, macchiare, inquinare, guastare, putrefazione, macchia, traccia, ombra

Português (Portuguese)
v. - infectar, contaminar, manchar
n. - mancha (f), nódoa (f), infecção (f), defeito (m)

Русский (Russian)
запятнать кого-л., очернить опозорить, позор, пятно

Español (Spanish)
n. - mancha, punta, infección, contaminación, corrupción
v. tr. - echar a perder, contaminar, corromper
v. intr. - corromperse, estropearse, contaminarse, viciarse

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - fläcka, besudla, smitta, förorena, förpesta, fördärva, göra skämd, förgifta
n. - skamfläck, moralisk brist, drag, anstrykning, smitta, smittämne

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
污点, 感染, 耻辱, 污染, 沾染, 使腐败, 腐坏, 败坏, 被污染

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 污點, 感染, 恥辱
v. tr. - 污染, 沾染, 使腐敗
v. intr. - 腐壞, 敗壞, 被污染

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 더러움, 얼룩, 부패
v. tr. - ~을 오염하다, 더럽히다
v. intr. - 더러워지다, 부패하다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 汚れ, 汚点, 腐敗, 気味, 痕跡
v. - 汚す, 汚染する, 腐らせる, 汚れる, 腐敗する

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يلطخ - يلوث (الاسم) لطخه - وسمه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮דופי, ריקבון, אילוח, כתם, עקבות (שיגעון)‬
v. tr. - ‮הכתים, הכפיש, זיהם, הרקיב, השחית‬
v. intr. - ‮נכתם, הזדהם, הרקיב, הושחת‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.