Taint – stain, spoil or contaminate
(Pronunciation rhymes with "paint")
Taint means to stain, spoil or contaminate someone or something.
To remember the definition of the word taint, use the following mnemonic:
The tar paint (taint) wouldn't come off – it left a stain.
Other words with a similar meaning to taint include blemish, blot, defect, fault, flaw and smear.
Examples of taint in a sentence
His dishonest act that day would forever taint his reputation.
Is a tattoo a work of art or does it merely taint the skin?
The water supply was tainted with chemicals that had been used to kill off bacteria.
