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View synonyms for

pollute

[ puh-loot ]

verb (used with object)

polluted, polluting.
  1. to make foul or unclean, especially with harmful chemical or waste products; dirty:

    to pollute the air with smoke.

    Synonyms: ,

    Antonyms:

  2. to make morally unclean; defile.

    Synonyms: , , , , ,

    Antonyms:

  3. to render ceremonially impure; desecrate:

    to pollute a house of worship.

  4. Informal. to render less effective or efficient:

    The use of inferior equipment has polluted the company's service.



pollute

/ əˈː /

verb

  1. to contaminate, as with poisonous or harmful substances
  2. to make morally corrupt or impure; sully
  3. to desecrate or defile
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • DZˈܳٱ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • DZ·ܳİ noun
  • DZ·t adjective
  • ԴDzpDZ·ܳiԲ adjective
  • ܲpDZ·ܳiԲ adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of pollute1

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English polute, from Latin DZūٳܲ, past participle of polluere “to soil, defile,” equivalent to pol-, assimilated variant of por- “forth, forward” (variant of prefix per- ), here marking completed action + -ū- base of -luere (akin to lutum “mud, dirt,” lustrum “muddy place”) + -tus past participle suffix; per-
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Word History and Origins

Origin of pollute1

C14 polute, from Latin polluere to defile
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Tougher enforcement of those polluting the environment was also called for, with new legislation needed to give Natural Resources Wales powers to issue civil sanctions, such as stop orders and fines.

From

Water companies have come under fire in recent years for allowing more frequent discharging of sewage spills, polluting rivers and lakes.

From

Los Angeles, Visalia, Bakersfield, Fresno and San Diego were among the list of cities most polluted by ozone.

From

The city’s growth has far outpaced the existing sewage treatment plants, and inadequate and broken facilities spew waste into the river, polluting the water and air in Imperial Beach and other communities near the border.

From

Both the extraction and processing of these rare earths are costly and polluting.

From

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