pollute

P3O1L1L1U1T1E1
/pəˈluːt//pəˈljuːt/

verb

To make something harmful, especially by the addition of some unwanted product.

“The factory polluted the river when it cleaned its tanks.”

Less commonScrabble 9

Meanings

verbpollute (third-person singular simple present pollutes, present participle polluting, simple past and past participle polluted)

present singular third person pollutes · participle present polluting · participle past polluted · past polluted

  1. 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

  2. transitiveTo make something or somewhere less suitable for some activity, especially by the introduction of some unnatural factor.

    The lights from the stadium polluted the night sky, and we couldn't see the stars.

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

  3. 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 21:8

    Synonyms: debauch, lead astray, defile, sully, adulterate, corrupt, debauch, demoralize

  4. Nigeriaslangto flatulate.
adjectivepollute (comparative more pollute, superlative most pollute)

comparative more pollute · superlative most pollute

  1. 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.

More synonyms by meaning

verbmake impure

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinpollūtum
  2. Middle Englishpolluten
  3. Englishpollute

From Middle English polluten, borrowed from Latin pollūtum, from pollūtus (“no longer virgin", "unchaste”), perfect passive participle of polluō (“soil", "defile", "dishonor”).

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

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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