sully

sully Definition

sully (sul′ē)

transitive verb sullied -·lied, sullying -·ly·ing

to soil, stain, tarnish, or besmirch, now esp. by disgracing

Etymology: prob. < Fr souiller < OFr soillier: see soil

intransitive verb

Obsolete to become sullied

noun pl. sullies -·lies

Archaic a stain or tarnish; defilement

Sully Definition

Sully (sul′ē; also, for 1, Fr sü lē′)

sully Synonyms

sully Usage Examples

Object

memory: Perhaps that might be better, and not sully the memory.
page: Dave is very grateful to be able to sully the pages of The Panhandle with his collections of doodles and weak gags.

Modifying Another Word

n't: Do n't sully your good work on them by comparing them to this irrelevant twaddle.
not: The terms in which it is drawn up do not sully God's holiness by suffering sin to abound in His own.
never: A. I would never sully my house with it.

Browse dictionary entries near sully