inquinate

I1N1Q10U1I1N1A1T1E1
/ˈɪnkwɪneɪt/

verb

To pollute or make dirty.

Similar
assoilbefoulsullybeclartbedaubbedirtyimbrue (especially with blood)bedizen
OriginLatin inquināre →
Scrabble 18
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Meanings

verbinquinate (third-person singular simple present inquinates, present participle inquinating, simple past and past participle inquinated)

present singular third person inquinates · participle present inquinating · participle past inquinated · past inquinated

  1. formalTo pollute or make dirty.

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

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo pollute or make dirty.

Similar
assoilbefoulsullyassoilbeclartbedaubbedirtyimbrue (especially with blood)bedizenbefilebefilthbefoulbegrimeberaybeshitbesmearbesmirchbesullybewrayblacken
Also see
dirtyfiletarnish

Origin

  1. Latininquināre“polluting”
  2. Englishinquinate

From Latin inquināre (“polluting”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish tahria, tahrata
  • tahriato pollute or make dirty
  • tahratato pollute or make dirty
Russian засорять, загрязнять
  • засорять (zasorjatʹ)to pollute or make dirty
  • загрязнять (zagrjaznjatʹ)to pollute or make dirty
Spanish contaminar
  • contaminarto pollute or make dirty
Cite this entry
APA

inquinate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inquinate

MLA

“inquinate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inquinate. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “inquinate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inquinate.

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