verb
1.
to touch or affect with something bad or undesirable
his good reputation was tainted by the scandal
Synonyms: besmear, besmirch, blur, cloud, defile, dirty, discolor, smear, smudge, smut, smutch, soil, stain, sully, tar, tarnish; compare contaminate 1
Related Word: discredit; brand, stigmatize; blacken; damage, harm, hurt
Idioms: cast a slur upon; give a bad name to, give a black mark to
Contrasted words: brighten, cleanse, clear
2.
Synonyms: decay , break down, crumble, decompose, disintegrate, molder, putrefy, rot, spoil, turn
Related Word: befoul, contaminate, foul
3.
Synonyms: contaminate 1, defile, pollute, soil