Meanings
present singular third person pollutes · participle present polluting · participle past polluted · past polluted
- transitiveTo make something harmful, especially by the addition of some unwanted product.
The factory polluted the river when it cleaned its tanks.
Synonyms: contaminate, poison, taint
- To corrupt or profane
But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.
1952, Bible (Revised Standard Version, Revelation 21:8Synonyms: debauch, lead astray, defile, sully, adulterate, corrupt, debauch, demoralize
- Nigeriaslangto flatulate.
comparative more pollute · superlative most pollute
- rarePolluted; defiled.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo make something harmful, especially by the addition of some unwanted product.
verbTo make something or somewhere less suitable for some activity, especially by the introduction of some unnatural factor.
verbTo corrupt or profane
verbTo violate sexually; to debauch; to dishonour.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinpollūtum
- Middle Englishpolluten
- Englishpollute
From Middle English polluten, borrowed from Latin pollūtum, from pollūtus (“no longer virgin", "unchaste”), perfect passive participle of polluō (“soil", "defile", "dishonor”).
More words from Middle English, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek μιαίνω, μολύνω
- μιαίνω (miaínō)to make something harmful
- μολύνω (molúnō)to make something harmful
Bulgarian замърсявам
- замърсявам (zamărsjavam)to make something harmful
Czech znečistit
- znečistitto make something harmful
Esperanto polui
- poluito make something harmful
Finnish saastuttaa, saastunut
- saastuttaato make something harmful
- saastunutpolluted
- pilaantunutpolluted
French polluer, polluer
- polluerto make something harmful
- polluerto make something or somewhere less suitable
- polluépolluted
German verschmutzen
- verschmutzento make something harmful
Irish éilligh, truailligh
- éillighto make something harmful
- truaillighto make something harmful
Italian inquinare
- inquinareto make something harmful
Latin inquinō, polluo
- inquinōto make something harmful
- polluoto make something harmful
Polish skazić, zanieczyszczać
- skazićto make something harmful
- zanieczyszczaćto make something harmful
- zanieczyścićto make something harmful
Portuguese contaminar, poluir
- contaminarto make something harmful
- poluirto make something harmful
- poluirto make something or somewhere less suitable
- sujarto make something or somewhere less suitable
- poluídopolluted
Russian загрязня́ть, загрязни́ть
- загрязня́ть (zagrjaznjátʹ)to make something harmful
- загрязни́ть (zagrjaznítʹ)to make something harmful
Scottish Gaelic truaill, truaill
- truaillto make something harmful
- truaillto make something or somewhere less suitable
Spanish contaminar, polucionar
- contaminarto make something harmful
- polucionarto make something harmful
Ukrainian забру́днювати, забрудни́ти
- забру́днювати (zabrúdnjuvaty)to make something harmful
- забрудни́ти (zabrudnýty)to make something harmful
Welsh llygru
- llygruto make something harmful
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with pollute
Cite this entry
pollute. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pollute
“pollute.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pollute. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pollute,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pollute.
Source: pollute on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.