pollute

verb

pə-ˈlüt How to pronounce pollute (audio)
Definition of pollutenext
as in to contaminate
to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable outmoded factories polluting the air

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb pollute contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of pollute are contaminate, defile, and taint. While all these words mean "to make impure or unclean," pollute, sometimes interchangeable with contaminate, distinctively may imply that the process which begins with contamination is complete and that what was pure or clean has been made foul, poisoned, or filthy.

the polluted waters of the river

When can contaminate be used instead of pollute?

The words contaminate and pollute can be used in similar contexts, but contaminate implies intrusion of or contact with dirt or foulness from an outside source.

water contaminated by industrial wastes

When is defile a more appropriate choice than pollute?

The words defile and pollute are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, defile implies befouling of what could or should have been kept clean and pure or held sacred and commonly suggests violation or desecration.

defile a hero's memory with slanderous innuendo

When is it sensible to use taint instead of pollute?

The synonyms taint and pollute are sometimes interchangeable, but taint stresses the loss of purity or cleanliness that follows contamination.

tainted meat
a politician's tainted reputation

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pollute No agency is perfect, but the loss of professional civil servants at the EPA could create an opportunity for the agency to be staffed by people installed by polluting industries in return for campaign donations—or simply staffed by so few employees that polluters can act with even greater impunity. —Yong Kwon / Made By History, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025 Slowing down enforcement could be considered a license to pollute — but industry would have to take a leap of faith that enforcers won’t catch up with them. —Jan Ellen Spiegel, Hartford Courant, 28 Mar. 2025 Loosening wastewater rules will pollute soil and negatively impact crops even more, McBride said. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2025 Trump has derided the Education Department as wasteful and polluted by liberal ideology. —Chris Megerian, Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pollute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pollute
  1. contaminate
  2. poison
  3. taint
Verb
  • Venezuela’s crude oil is heavily contaminated with sulfur.
    — Keith Bradsher, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Several multistate recalls of pet food contaminated with the bird flu virus have been announced in recent months by the FDA and pet food manufacturers.
    — Alexander Tin, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2025
Definition of contaminate
Verb
  • Until Henry momentarily excuses himself from the table, that is, and the person or persons behind these winky-wink messages tell her to poison Henry ASAP or the menacing guy currently hiding in her apartment will kill her boy.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Calls to poison control centers for pediatric melatonin ingestion increased 530 percent between 2012 and 2021, according to one analysis published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of poison
Verb
  • In its letter, the committee said that Albanese’s rhetoric tainted both the U.N. as an institution and her own position.
    — Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Cena's victory, following Mysterio's earlier match, tainted Mysterio's win and shifted focus to Cena's confrontation with the returning CM Punk, overshadowing Mysterio's moment.
    — Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of taint

Browse Nearby Words

pollutants
pollute
polluted
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Cite this Entry

“Pollute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pollute. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of pollute for Spanish Speakers

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