| Main Entry: | taint |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | contamination, corruption |
Synonyms: |
black mark, blemish, blot, contagion, defect, disgrace, dishonor, fault, flaw, infection, pollution, shame, smear, spot, stain, stigma |
Antonyms: |
cleanliness, perfection |
| Main Entry: | taint |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | dirty, contaminate; ruin |
Synonyms: |
adulterate, besmirch, blacken, blemish, blight, blot, blur, brand, break down, cast a slur, cloud, cook, corrupt, crud up, crumble, cut, damage, debase, decay, decompose, defile, deprave, discolor, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, disintegrate, doctor, foul, give a bad name, harm, hurt, infect, muddy, poison, pollute, putrefy, rot, shame, smear, soil, spike, spoil, stain, stigmatize, sully, tar, tarnish, trash*, turn, water, water down |
Antonyms: |
clean, right |
| Main Entry: | abuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | physically hurt or injure |
Synonyms: |
bang up, beat up, bung up, corrupt, cut up, damage, defile, deprave, desecrate, harm, hose, ill-treat, impair, maltreat, mar, mess up*, mishandle, mistreat, misuse, molest, oppress, persecute, pollute, rough up, roughhouse, ruin, shake up, spoil, taint, total*, victimize, violate, wax |
| Notes: | abuse carries with it some sense of harm; misuse refers to an incorrect use that may not lead to harm to misuse is to use something wrongly, to abuse is to misuse something so badly that you damage it |
Antonyms: |
cherish, defend, help, preserve, protect, respect |
| Main Entry: | abuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | use wrongly |
Synonyms: |
dissipate, exhaust, misemploy, mishandle, misuse, overburden, overtax, overwork, prostitute, spoil, squander, taint, waste |
Antonyms: |
benefit, care for, esteem, prize, respect, revere |
| Main Entry: | adulterate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | alter or debase, often for profit |
Synonyms: |
alloy, amalgamate, attenuate, blend, cheapen, commingle, contaminate, cook, corrupt, cut*, defile, degrade, denature, depreciate, deteriorate, devalue, dilute, dissolve, doctor up, doctor*, falsify, impair, infiltrate, intermix, irrigate, lace, make impure, mingle, mix, phony up, plant*, pollute, shave, spike*, taint, thin, transfuse, vitiate, water down, weaken |
Antonyms: |
clarify, clean, cleanse, distill, filter, free, purify, refine |
| Main Entry: | blacken |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | malign; smear |
Synonyms: |
asperse, attack, bad-mouth, blot, blotch, calumniate, decry, defame, defile, denigrate, dishonor, do a number on, give a black eye, knock*, libel, malign, rip up and down, rip*, slander, slur, smudge, stain, sully, taint, tarnish, traduce, vilify |
Antonyms: |
compliment, enhance, praise |
| Main Entry: | blemish |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | flaw |
Synonyms: |
beauty spot, birthmark, blackhead, blister, bloom*, blot, blot on the landscape, blotch, blur, brand, bruise, bug*, catch, chip, cicatrix, defacement, defect, deformity, dent, discoloration, disfigurement, disgrace, dishonor, eyesore, fault, freckle, hickey, imperfection, impurity, lentigo, lump, macula, maculation, mark, mole, nevus, nodule, patch, pimple, pock, pockmark, scar, second, sight, smudge, snag, speck, speckle, spot, stain, stigma, taint, tarnish, vice, wart, whitehead, zit |
Antonyms: |
adornment, decoration, embellishment, ornament |
| Main Entry: | blemish |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | flaw, disfigure |
Synonyms: |
blot, blotch, blur, damage, deface, distort, harm, hurt, impair, injure, maim, mangle, mar, mark, mutilate, pervert, prejudice, scar, smudge, spoil, spot, stain, sully, taint, tarnish, twist, vitiate, wrench |
Antonyms: |
adorn, beautify, decorate, embellish, ornament |
| Main Entry: | blight |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | ruin, destroy |
Synonyms: |
annihilate, blast, crush, damage, dash, decay, disappoint, foul up, frustrate, glitch up, injure, mar, mess up*, nip in the bud, nullify, shrivel, spoil, taint, trash*, wither, wreck |
Antonyms: |
aid, bless, guard, help, prosper, protect |
| Main Entry: | blot |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | mark; flaw |
Synonyms: |
black eye, blemish, blotch, blur, brand, defect, discoloration, disgrace, fault, odium, onus, patch, slur, smear, smudge, speck, spot, stain, stigma, taint |
Antonyms: |
blank, clarity |