sully

/ˈsʌli/ verb C2

To soil or stain; to dirty. (transitive) · He did not wish to sully his hands with gardening.
To corrupt or damage. (transitive) · She tried to sully her rival’s reputation with a suggestive comment.
To become soiled or tarnished. (intransitive)

He/she/it sullies · Past sullied · Past participle sullied · -ing form sullying

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Verb forms

Base form: sully
He/she/it: sullies
Past: sullied
Past participle: sullied
-ing form: sullying

From the library

or Sully, Louis XIII.

The Count of Monte Cristo, p. 425 · C1

Locusta and Agrippina, living at the same time, were an exception, and proved the determination of Providence to effect the entire ruin of the Roman empire, sullied by so many crimes.

The Count of Monte Cristo, p. 817 · C1

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