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

3 senses of sully

Sense 1
defile, sully, corrupt, taint, cloud -- (place under suspicion or cast doubt upon; "sully someone's reputation")
       => mar, impair, spoil, deflower, vitiate -- (make imperfect; "nothing marred her beauty")

Sense 2
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 3
defame, slander, smirch, asperse, denigrate, calumniate, smear, sully, besmirch -- (charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone; "The journalists have defamed me!" "The article in the paper sullied my reputation")
       => charge, accuse -- (blame for, make a claim of wrongdoing or misbehavior against; "he charged the director with indifference")