Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb maculate

2 senses of maculate

Sense 1
tarnish, stain, maculate, sully, defile -- (make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically; "The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air"; "Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man")
       => spot, fleck, blob, blot -- (make a spot or mark onto; "The wine spotted the tablecloth")

Sense 2
foul, befoul, defile, maculate -- (spot, stain, or pollute; "The townspeople defiled the river by emptying raw sewage into it")
       => dishonor, disgrace, dishonour, attaint, shame -- (bring shame or dishonor upon; "he dishonored his family by committing a serious crime")

Antonyms of adj maculate

2 senses of maculate

Sense 1
defiled, maculate -- (morally blemished; stained or impure)

INDIRECT (VIA impure) -> pure -- ((used of persons or behaviors) having no faults; sinless; "I felt pure and sweet as a new baby"- Sylvia Plath; "pure as the driven snow")

Sense 2
maculate -- (spotted or blotched)

INDIRECT (VIA dirty) -> clean -- (free from dirt or impurities; or having clean habits; "children with clean shining faces"; "clean white shirts"; "clean dishes"; "a spotlessly clean house"; "cats are clean animals")

Similarity of adj maculate

2 senses of maculate

Sense 1
defiled, maculate -- (morally blemished; stained or impure)
       => impure (vs. pure) -- ((used of persons or behaviors) immoral or obscene; "impure thoughts")

Sense 2
maculate -- (spotted or blotched)
       => dirty (vs. clean), soiled, unclean -- (soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime; "dirty unswept sidewalks"; "a child in dirty overalls"; "dirty slums"; "piles of dirty dishes"; "put his dirty feet on the clean sheet"; "wore an unclean shirt"; "mining is a dirty job"; "Cinderella did the dirty work while her sisters preened themselves")