contaminate

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UK/kənˈtæmɪneɪt/Canada, US[kənˈtɛəm.ɪ.neɪt]Australia/kənˈtæmɪnæɪt/New Zealand/kənˈtɛmənæɪt/

verb

To make something dangerous or toxic by introducing impurities or foreign matter.

“This water is contaminated. It isn't safe to drink.”

Similar
poisonpollutetaintdefilesullyassoilbeclartbedaub
Opposite
decontaminate
OriginMiddle English contaminaten ← Latin contāminātus →
Less commonScrabble 15
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Meanings

contaminate1

verbcontaminate (third-person singular simple present contaminates, present participle contaminating, simple past and past participle contaminated)

present singular third person contaminates · participle present contaminating · participle past contaminated · past contaminated

  1. transitiveTo make something dangerous or toxic by introducing impurities or foreign matter.

    This water is contaminated. It isn't safe to drink.

    1 more example

    Bombs and munitions meanwhile contain toxic substances that contaminate soil, water, and vegetation.

    2025 November 20, Simmone Shah, “Ukraine to Claim $44bn in Climate Damages From Russia. Why War Is So Bad For Emissions”, in TIME, archived from the original on 08 Dec 2025

    Synonyms: poison, pollute, taint

  2. transitiveTo soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association.

    Shall we now Contaminate our figures with base bribes?

    1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]
    2 more examples

    I would neither have simplicity imposed upon, nor virtue contaminated.

    1766, [Oliver Goldsmith], The Vicar of Wakefield: […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), Salisbury, Wiltshire: […] B. Collins, for F[rancis] Newbery, […], →OCLC

    [Martin] Heidegger's repellent political beliefs do not contaminate his philosophical work.

    2014 April 12, Michael Inwood, “Martin Heidegger: the philosopher who fell for Hitler [print version: Hitler's philosopher]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review), London, page R11

    Synonyms: defile, pollute, sully, assoil, beclart, bedaub, bedirty, imbrue (especially with blood)

  3. transitiveTo make unfit for use by the introduction of unwholesome or undesirable elements.

    Do not contaminate the peanut butter with the jelly.

    Synonyms: mar, mess up, ruin, ball up, blight, bumble, botch, bugger up

  4. transitiveTo infect, usually of a deadly virus.

    Synonyms: disease, leper

contaminate2

adjectivecontaminate (comparative more contaminate, superlative most contaminate)

comparative more contaminate · superlative most contaminate

  1. obsoleteContaminated.

    And that this body conſecrate to thee, By Ruffian Luſt ſhould be contaminate!

    c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 89, column 1
  2. figurativelyobsoleteDirty, sinful, wicked, gross, etc.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo make something dangerous or toxic by introducing impurities or foreign matter.

Similar
poisonpollutetaint

verbTo soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association.

Similar
defilepollutesullyassoilbeclartbedaubbedirtyimbrue (especially with blood)bedizenbefilebefilthbefoulbegrimeberaybeshitbesmearbesmirchbesullybewrayblacken

verbTo make unfit for use by the introduction of unwholesome or undesirable elements.

Similar
marmess upruinball upblightbumblebotchbugger upbunglecorruptcrabdepravedisruptdisturbfoilfuck upjack upmarmess up

verbTo infect, usually of a deadly virus.

Similar
diseaseleper

More synonyms by meaning

verbmake impure

Similar
pollutefoul
Broader
dirtysoilbegrime

verbmake radioactive by adding radioactive material

Opposite
decontaminate
Broader
changealtermodify
Also see
aggravateball upblightblotbotchbunglecook someone's goosecorruptdefacedefiledepravedirtyfoilfoulinjuremommickpoisonpolluteruinsoilspoilupliftupset the applecartvitiateworsen

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

contaminate · verb

  1. Latincontāminātus
  2. Middle Englishcontaminaten“to defile; to infect with desease”
  3. Englishcontaminate

First attested in the early 15ᵗʰ century, in Middle English; from Middle English contaminaten (“to defile; to infect with desease”), from contaminat(e) (“sullied, defiled; infected with desease”, also used as the past participle of contaminaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), from Latin contāminātus, the perfect passive participle of contāminō (“to touch together, blend, mingle, corrupt, defile”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), which see for further informations. More at taste, tax, and taxi.

More words from Middle English, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

contaminate · adjective

  1. Middle Englishcontaminat(e)“sullied, defiled; infected with desease”
  2. Englishcontaminate

First attested in the early 15ᵗʰ century, in Middle English; from Middle English contaminat(e) (“sullied, defiled; infected with desease”, also used as the past participle of contaminaten), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more. Participial usage up until Early Modern English.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek μιαίνω, μολύνω
  • μιαίνω (miaínō)To introduce impurities or foreign matter
  • μολύνω (molúnō)To introduce impurities or foreign matter
Bulgarian замърсявам, извършвам зловредно вмешателство
  • замърсявам (zamărsjavam)To introduce impurities or foreign matter
  • извършвам зловредно вмешателство (izvăršvam zlovredno vmešatelstvo)To introduce impurities or foreign matter
Catalan contaminar
  • contaminarTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
Czech znečistit, kontaminovat
  • znečistitTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
  • kontaminovatTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
Danish forurene, kontaminere
  • forureneTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
  • kontaminereTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
Esperanto kontaĝi
  • kontaĝiTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
Finnish saastuttaa, pilata
  • saastuttaaTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
  • pilataTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
French contaminer, salir
  • contaminerTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
  • salirTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
German verunreinigen, verseuchen
  • verunreinigenTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
  • verseuchenTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
  • kontaminierenTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
Irish truailligh
  • truaillighTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
Italian contaminare
  • contaminareTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
Latin contāminō
  • contāminōTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
Lithuanian užteršti
  • užterštiTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
Māori whakananu, whakaparu
  • whakananuTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
  • whakaparuTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
  • tāhawahawaTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
Norwegian Bokmål kontaminere
  • kontaminereTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
Polish zatruwać, skazić
  • zatruwaćTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
  • skazićTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
Portuguese contaminar
  • contaminarTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
Russian загрязня́ть, загрязни́ть
  • загрязня́ть (zagrjaznjátʹ)To introduce impurities or foreign matter
  • загрязни́ть (zagrjaznítʹ)To introduce impurities or foreign matter
Scottish Gaelic truaill
  • truaillTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
Swedish kontaminera
  • kontamineraTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
Turkish kirletmek
  • kirletmekTo introduce impurities or foreign matter
Cite this entry
APA

contaminate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contaminate

MLA

“contaminate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contaminate. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “contaminate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/contaminate.

Source: contaminate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.