Sully — Defs

01 v. t. To soil; to dirty; to spot; to tarnish; to stain; to darken; -- used literally and figuratively; as, to sully a sword; to sully a person's …

imp. & p. p. Sullied; p. pr. & vb. n. Sullying

1.
To soil; to dirty; to spot; to tarnish; to stain; to darken; -- used literally and figuratively; as, to sully a sword; to sully a person's reputation.
“Statues sullied yet with sacrilegious smoke.” — Roscommon.

“No spots to sully the brightness of this solemnity.” — Atterbury.

02 v. i. To become soiled or tarnished.

1.
To become soiled or tarnished.
“Silvering will sully and canker more than gilding.” — Bacon.

03 n. Soil; tarnish; stain.

pl. Sullies

1.
Soil; tarnish; stain.
“A noble and triumphant merit breaks through little spots and sullies in his reputation.” — Spectator.