See sully in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for sully meaning in English (18.5kB)
{
"derived": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "besully"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "unsullied"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "unsully"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "sulen"
},
"expansion": "Middle English sulen",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "sulien",
"3": "",
"4": "to become dirty; to defile, pollute, taint"
},
"expansion": "sulien (“to become dirty; to defile, pollute, taint”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ang",
"3": "sylian",
"4": "",
"5": "to soil, pollute; to sully"
},
"expansion": "Old English sylian (“to soil, pollute; to sully”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gmw-pro",
"3": "*sulwōn"
},
"expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *sulwōn",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "gmw-pro",
"2": "*sulwijan",
"3": "",
"4": "to make dirty; to sully"
},
"expansion": "*sulwijan (“to make dirty; to sully”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*sūl-",
"4": "",
"5": "thick liquid, muck"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *sūl- (“thick liquid, muck”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "souillier",
"3": "",
"4": "to soil"
},
"expansion": "Old French souillier (“to soil”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fr",
"2": "souiller"
},
"expansion": "French souiller",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "da",
"2": "søle",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "Danish søle (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "vls",
"2": "seulewen",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "West Flemish seulewen (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "dum",
"2": "soluwen",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "Middle Dutch soluwen (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "de",
"2": "sühlen",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "German sühlen (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "osx",
"2": "sulian",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "Old Saxon sulian (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "sv",
"2": "söla",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "Swedish söla (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "sulpen",
"3": "",
"4": "to defile, pollute"
},
"expansion": "Middle English sulpen (“to defile, pollute”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ang",
"2": "solian",
"3": "",
"4": "to soil, become defiled, make or become foul"
},
"expansion": "Old English solian (“to soil, become defiled, make or become foul”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "soil"
},
"expansion": "soil",
"name": "l"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Middle English sulen, sulien (“to become dirty; to defile, pollute, taint”), from Old English sylian (“to soil, pollute; to sully”), from Proto-West Germanic *sulwōn, *sulwijan (“to make dirty; to sully”), from Proto-Indo-European *sūl- (“thick liquid, muck”), perhaps conflated partially with Old French souillier (“to soil”) (modern French souiller) from the same Germanic source. The word is cognate with Danish søle (“to sully”), West Flemish seulewen (“to sully”) (Middle Dutch soluwen (“to sully”)), German sühlen (“to sully”), Old Saxon sulian (“to sully”), Swedish söla (“to sully”). Also compare Middle English sulpen (“to defile, pollute”), Old English solian (“to soil, become defiled, make or become foul”), and see more at soil.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "sullies",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "sullying",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "sullied",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "sullied",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "sully (third-person singular simple present sullies, present participle sullying, simple past and past participle sullied)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"hyphenation": [
"sul‧ly"
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "18 45 20 17",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "He did not wish to sully his hands with gardening.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "1672, The Earl of Roscommon [Wentworth Dillon, 4th Earl of Roscommon], “The Sixth Ode, of the Third Book of Horace”, in Poems by the Earl of Roscomon, London: J[acob] Tonson, published 1717, page 153, lines 1–6",
"text": "THoſe Ills your Anceſtors have done, / Romans, are now become your own ; / And they will coſt you dear, / Unleſs you ſoon repair / The falling Temples which the Gods provoke, / And Statues ſully’d yet with Sacrilegious Smoke.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To soil or stain; to dirty."
],
"id": "en-sully-en-verb-zU1WltrX",
"links": [
[
"soil",
"soil#Verb"
],
[
"stain",
"stain#Verb"
],
[
"dirty",
"dirty#Verb"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(transitive) To soil or stain; to dirty."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"tags": [
"obsolete"
],
"word": "sowl"
}
],
"tags": [
"transitive"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "capam",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "цапам"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "zamǎrsjavam",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "замърсявам"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "bevuilen"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "bezoedelen"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "liata"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "tahrata"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "salir"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "souiller"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "gl",
"lang": "Galician",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "luxar"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "gl",
"lang": "Galician",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "ensuciar"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "gl",
"lang": "Galician",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "emporcallar"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "besudeln"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "schmutzig machen"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "összepiszkít"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "bepiszkít"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "beszennyez"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "ga",
"lang": "Irish",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "salaigh"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "skalać"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "sujar"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "spurca"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "mânji"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "páčkatʹ",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "па́чкать"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "marátʹ",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "мара́ть"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "ukaljati"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "manchar"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "ensuciar"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "söla"
},
{
"_dis1": "92 4 4",
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "brudnyty",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "бруднити"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"coordinate_terms": [
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "besmirch"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "debase"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "stain"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "tarnish"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "She tried to sully her rival’s reputation with a suggestive comment.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "2010, Ken Gormley, “One Nation Divided”, in The Death of American Virtue: Clinton vs. Starr, New York, N.Y.: Crown Publishers, page 431",
"text": "Ken Starr would later conclude that it was a mistake for him to expand into the Monica Lewinsky matter, largely because of the disastrous impact it would have on his Whitewater/Madison investigation and in sullying his otherwise sterling professional reputation.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2014, Dedra Mcdonald Birzer, “To Delight in Sacrifice: True Love in Jane Eyre”, in Charlotte Brontë, edited by Jill Kriegel, Jane Eyre: With an Introduction and Contemporary Criticism (Ignatius Critical Editions), San Francisco, Calif.: Ignatius Press, page 569",
"text": "As a child, Jane [Eyre] is completely bereft of love, living a loveless existence, which sullies her character. Her emotions are raw and, on the surface, completely out of control.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To corrupt or damage."
],
"id": "en-sully-en-verb-xv7r~EKD",
"links": [
[
"corrupt",
"corrupt#Verb"
],
[
"damage",
"damage#Verb"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(transitive) To corrupt or damage."
],
"tags": [
"transitive"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "opetnjavam",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "опетнявам"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "bevuilen"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "bezoedelen"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "liata"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "souiller"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "besudeln"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "beszennyez"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "skalać"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "manchar"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "macular"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "păta"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "murdări"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "pjatnatʹ",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "пятнать"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "ukaljati"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "mancillar"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "manchar"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "macular"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "embarrar"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "enfangar"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "pljamuvaty",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "плямувати"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1730, Francis Bacon, “The Lord Bacon’s Questions, with Dr. Meverel’s Solutions, Concerning the Compounding, Incorporating, or Union of Metals or Minerals; which Subject is the First Letter of His Lordship’s Alphabet”, in The Works of Francis Bacon, Baron of Verulam, Viscount St Alban, and Lord High Chancellor of England, volume III, London: J. and J. Knapton [et al.], →OCLC, page 215",
"text": "[G]old bears the fire, which ſilver doth not: but that is an excellency in nature, but it is nothing at all in uſe; for any dignity in uſe I know none, but that ſilvering will ſully and canker more than gilding; […]",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To become soiled or tarnished."
],
"id": "en-sully-en-verb-i3Z5CFnO",
"links": [
[
"soiled",
"soiled#Adjective"
],
[
"tarnished",
"tarnished#Adjective"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive, ergative) To become soiled or tarnished."
],
"tags": [
"ergative",
"intransitive"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "5 1 94",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "capam se",
"sense": "to become soiled or tarnished",
"word": "цапам се"
},
{
"_dis1": "5 1 94",
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "to become soiled or tarnished",
"word": "păta"
},
{
"_dis1": "5 1 94",
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "to become soiled or tarnished",
"word": "murdări"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈsʌli/",
"tags": [
"General-American",
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"rhymes": "-ʌli"
},
{
"audio": "en-us-sully.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/12/En-us-sully.ogg/En-us-sully.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/En-us-sully.ogg",
"tags": [
"General-American"
],
"text": "Audio (GA)"
},
{
"audio": "en-au-sully.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/39/En-au-sully.ogg/En-au-sully.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/En-au-sully.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "sullow"
}
],
"word": "sully"
}
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "sulen"
},
"expansion": "Middle English sulen",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "sulien",
"3": "",
"4": "to become dirty; to defile, pollute, taint"
},
"expansion": "sulien (“to become dirty; to defile, pollute, taint”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ang",
"3": "sylian",
"4": "",
"5": "to soil, pollute; to sully"
},
"expansion": "Old English sylian (“to soil, pollute; to sully”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gmw-pro",
"3": "*sulwōn"
},
"expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *sulwōn",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "gmw-pro",
"2": "*sulwijan",
"3": "",
"4": "to make dirty; to sully"
},
"expansion": "*sulwijan (“to make dirty; to sully”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*sūl-",
"4": "",
"5": "thick liquid, muck"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *sūl- (“thick liquid, muck”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "souillier",
"3": "",
"4": "to soil"
},
"expansion": "Old French souillier (“to soil”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fr",
"2": "souiller"
},
"expansion": "French souiller",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "da",
"2": "søle",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "Danish søle (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "vls",
"2": "seulewen",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "West Flemish seulewen (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "dum",
"2": "soluwen",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "Middle Dutch soluwen (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "de",
"2": "sühlen",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "German sühlen (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "osx",
"2": "sulian",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "Old Saxon sulian (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "sv",
"2": "söla",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "Swedish söla (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "sulpen",
"3": "",
"4": "to defile, pollute"
},
"expansion": "Middle English sulpen (“to defile, pollute”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ang",
"2": "solian",
"3": "",
"4": "to soil, become defiled, make or become foul"
},
"expansion": "Old English solian (“to soil, become defiled, make or become foul”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "soil"
},
"expansion": "soil",
"name": "l"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Middle English sulen, sulien (“to become dirty; to defile, pollute, taint”), from Old English sylian (“to soil, pollute; to sully”), from Proto-West Germanic *sulwōn, *sulwijan (“to make dirty; to sully”), from Proto-Indo-European *sūl- (“thick liquid, muck”), perhaps conflated partially with Old French souillier (“to soil”) (modern French souiller) from the same Germanic source. The word is cognate with Danish søle (“to sully”), West Flemish seulewen (“to sully”) (Middle Dutch soluwen (“to sully”)), German sühlen (“to sully”), Old Saxon sulian (“to sully”), Swedish söla (“to sully”). Also compare Middle English sulpen (“to defile, pollute”), Old English solian (“to soil, become defiled, make or become foul”), and see more at soil.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "sullies",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "sully (plural sullies)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"hyphenation": [
"sul‧ly"
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1823 August 9, L. E. L., “Original Poetry. Poetical Catalogue of Pictures. Stothard’s Erato.”, in The Literary Gazette, and Journal of Belles Lettres, Arts, Sciences, &c., number 342, London: Printed by B. Bensley, Bolt Court, Fleet Street; published for the proprietors, at the Literary Gazette Office, Strand; sold also by Bell and Bradfute, Edinburgh; John Cumming, Dublin; and all other booksellers, newsmen, &c., →OCLC, page 507, column 3",
"text": "Roses, ere their crimson breast / Throws aside its green moss vest; / Young hearts, or ere toil, or care, / Or gold, has left a sully there.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A blemish."
],
"id": "en-sully-en-noun-Jrw21SUe",
"links": [
[
"blemish",
"blemish#Noun"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(rare, obsolete) A blemish."
],
"tags": [
"obsolete",
"rare"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈsʌli/",
"tags": [
"General-American",
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"rhymes": "-ʌli"
},
{
"audio": "en-us-sully.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/12/En-us-sully.ogg/En-us-sully.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/En-us-sully.ogg",
"tags": [
"General-American"
],
"text": "Audio (GA)"
},
{
"audio": "en-au-sully.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/39/En-au-sully.ogg/En-au-sully.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/En-au-sully.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"word": "sully"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 2-syllable words",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English terms derived from Middle English",
"English terms derived from Old English",
"English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
"English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
"English terms inherited from Middle English",
"English terms inherited from Old English",
"English terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links",
"English verbs",
"Rhymes:English/ʌli",
"Rhymes:English/ʌli/2 syllables"
],
"coordinate_terms": [
{
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "besmirch"
},
{
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "debase"
},
{
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "stain"
},
{
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "tarnish"
}
],
"derived": [
{
"word": "besully"
},
{
"word": "unsullied"
},
{
"word": "unsully"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "sulen"
},
"expansion": "Middle English sulen",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "sulien",
"3": "",
"4": "to become dirty; to defile, pollute, taint"
},
"expansion": "sulien (“to become dirty; to defile, pollute, taint”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ang",
"3": "sylian",
"4": "",
"5": "to soil, pollute; to sully"
},
"expansion": "Old English sylian (“to soil, pollute; to sully”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gmw-pro",
"3": "*sulwōn"
},
"expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *sulwōn",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "gmw-pro",
"2": "*sulwijan",
"3": "",
"4": "to make dirty; to sully"
},
"expansion": "*sulwijan (“to make dirty; to sully”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*sūl-",
"4": "",
"5": "thick liquid, muck"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *sūl- (“thick liquid, muck”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "souillier",
"3": "",
"4": "to soil"
},
"expansion": "Old French souillier (“to soil”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fr",
"2": "souiller"
},
"expansion": "French souiller",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "da",
"2": "søle",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "Danish søle (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "vls",
"2": "seulewen",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "West Flemish seulewen (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "dum",
"2": "soluwen",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "Middle Dutch soluwen (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "de",
"2": "sühlen",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "German sühlen (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "osx",
"2": "sulian",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "Old Saxon sulian (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "sv",
"2": "söla",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "Swedish söla (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "sulpen",
"3": "",
"4": "to defile, pollute"
},
"expansion": "Middle English sulpen (“to defile, pollute”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ang",
"2": "solian",
"3": "",
"4": "to soil, become defiled, make or become foul"
},
"expansion": "Old English solian (“to soil, become defiled, make or become foul”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "soil"
},
"expansion": "soil",
"name": "l"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Middle English sulen, sulien (“to become dirty; to defile, pollute, taint”), from Old English sylian (“to soil, pollute; to sully”), from Proto-West Germanic *sulwōn, *sulwijan (“to make dirty; to sully”), from Proto-Indo-European *sūl- (“thick liquid, muck”), perhaps conflated partially with Old French souillier (“to soil”) (modern French souiller) from the same Germanic source. The word is cognate with Danish søle (“to sully”), West Flemish seulewen (“to sully”) (Middle Dutch soluwen (“to sully”)), German sühlen (“to sully”), Old Saxon sulian (“to sully”), Swedish söla (“to sully”). Also compare Middle English sulpen (“to defile, pollute”), Old English solian (“to soil, become defiled, make or become foul”), and see more at soil.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "sullies",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "sullying",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "sullied",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "sullied",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "sully (third-person singular simple present sullies, present participle sullying, simple past and past participle sullied)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"hyphenation": [
"sul‧ly"
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples",
"English transitive verbs"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "He did not wish to sully his hands with gardening.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "1672, The Earl of Roscommon [Wentworth Dillon, 4th Earl of Roscommon], “The Sixth Ode, of the Third Book of Horace”, in Poems by the Earl of Roscomon, London: J[acob] Tonson, published 1717, page 153, lines 1–6",
"text": "THoſe Ills your Anceſtors have done, / Romans, are now become your own ; / And they will coſt you dear, / Unleſs you ſoon repair / The falling Temples which the Gods provoke, / And Statues ſully’d yet with Sacrilegious Smoke.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To soil or stain; to dirty."
],
"links": [
[
"soil",
"soil#Verb"
],
[
"stain",
"stain#Verb"
],
[
"dirty",
"dirty#Verb"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(transitive) To soil or stain; to dirty."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"tags": [
"obsolete"
],
"word": "sowl"
}
],
"tags": [
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples",
"English transitive verbs"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "She tried to sully her rival’s reputation with a suggestive comment.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "2010, Ken Gormley, “One Nation Divided”, in The Death of American Virtue: Clinton vs. Starr, New York, N.Y.: Crown Publishers, page 431",
"text": "Ken Starr would later conclude that it was a mistake for him to expand into the Monica Lewinsky matter, largely because of the disastrous impact it would have on his Whitewater/Madison investigation and in sullying his otherwise sterling professional reputation.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2014, Dedra Mcdonald Birzer, “To Delight in Sacrifice: True Love in Jane Eyre”, in Charlotte Brontë, edited by Jill Kriegel, Jane Eyre: With an Introduction and Contemporary Criticism (Ignatius Critical Editions), San Francisco, Calif.: Ignatius Press, page 569",
"text": "As a child, Jane [Eyre] is completely bereft of love, living a loveless existence, which sullies her character. Her emotions are raw and, on the surface, completely out of control.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To corrupt or damage."
],
"links": [
[
"corrupt",
"corrupt#Verb"
],
[
"damage",
"damage#Verb"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(transitive) To corrupt or damage."
],
"tags": [
"transitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English ergative verbs",
"English intransitive verbs",
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1730, Francis Bacon, “The Lord Bacon’s Questions, with Dr. Meverel’s Solutions, Concerning the Compounding, Incorporating, or Union of Metals or Minerals; which Subject is the First Letter of His Lordship’s Alphabet”, in The Works of Francis Bacon, Baron of Verulam, Viscount St Alban, and Lord High Chancellor of England, volume III, London: J. and J. Knapton [et al.], →OCLC, page 215",
"text": "[G]old bears the fire, which ſilver doth not: but that is an excellency in nature, but it is nothing at all in uſe; for any dignity in uſe I know none, but that ſilvering will ſully and canker more than gilding; […]",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To become soiled or tarnished."
],
"links": [
[
"soiled",
"soiled#Adjective"
],
[
"tarnished",
"tarnished#Adjective"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive, ergative) To become soiled or tarnished."
],
"tags": [
"ergative",
"intransitive"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈsʌli/",
"tags": [
"General-American",
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"rhymes": "-ʌli"
},
{
"audio": "en-us-sully.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/12/En-us-sully.ogg/En-us-sully.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/En-us-sully.ogg",
"tags": [
"General-American"
],
"text": "Audio (GA)"
},
{
"audio": "en-au-sully.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/39/En-au-sully.ogg/En-au-sully.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/En-au-sully.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "sullow"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "capam",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "цапам"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "zamǎrsjavam",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "замърсявам"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "bevuilen"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "bezoedelen"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "liata"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "tahrata"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "salir"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "souiller"
},
{
"code": "gl",
"lang": "Galician",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "luxar"
},
{
"code": "gl",
"lang": "Galician",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "ensuciar"
},
{
"code": "gl",
"lang": "Galician",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "emporcallar"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "besudeln"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "schmutzig machen"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "összepiszkít"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "bepiszkít"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "beszennyez"
},
{
"code": "ga",
"lang": "Irish",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "salaigh"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "skalać"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "sujar"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "spurca"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "mânji"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "páčkatʹ",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "па́чкать"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "marátʹ",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "мара́ть"
},
{
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "ukaljati"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "manchar"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "ensuciar"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "söla"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "brudnyty",
"sense": "to soil or stain",
"word": "бруднити"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "opetnjavam",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "опетнявам"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "bevuilen"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "bezoedelen"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "liata"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "souiller"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "besudeln"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "beszennyez"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "skalać"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "manchar"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "macular"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "păta"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "murdări"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "pjatnatʹ",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "пятнать"
},
{
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "ukaljati"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "mancillar"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "manchar"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "macular"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "embarrar"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "enfangar"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "pljamuvaty",
"sense": "to corrupt or damage",
"word": "плямувати"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "capam se",
"sense": "to become soiled or tarnished",
"word": "цапам се"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "to become soiled or tarnished",
"word": "păta"
},
{
"code": "ro",
"lang": "Romanian",
"sense": "to become soiled or tarnished",
"word": "murdări"
}
],
"word": "sully"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 2-syllable words",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English terms derived from Middle English",
"English terms derived from Old English",
"English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
"English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
"English terms inherited from Middle English",
"English terms inherited from Old English",
"English terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links",
"English verbs",
"Rhymes:English/ʌli",
"Rhymes:English/ʌli/2 syllables"
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "sulen"
},
"expansion": "Middle English sulen",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "sulien",
"3": "",
"4": "to become dirty; to defile, pollute, taint"
},
"expansion": "sulien (“to become dirty; to defile, pollute, taint”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ang",
"3": "sylian",
"4": "",
"5": "to soil, pollute; to sully"
},
"expansion": "Old English sylian (“to soil, pollute; to sully”)",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gmw-pro",
"3": "*sulwōn"
},
"expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *sulwōn",
"name": "inh"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "gmw-pro",
"2": "*sulwijan",
"3": "",
"4": "to make dirty; to sully"
},
"expansion": "*sulwijan (“to make dirty; to sully”)",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*sūl-",
"4": "",
"5": "thick liquid, muck"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *sūl- (“thick liquid, muck”)",
"name": "der"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fro",
"2": "souillier",
"3": "",
"4": "to soil"
},
"expansion": "Old French souillier (“to soil”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "fr",
"2": "souiller"
},
"expansion": "French souiller",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "da",
"2": "søle",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "Danish søle (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "vls",
"2": "seulewen",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "West Flemish seulewen (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "dum",
"2": "soluwen",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "Middle Dutch soluwen (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "de",
"2": "sühlen",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "German sühlen (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "osx",
"2": "sulian",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "Old Saxon sulian (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "sv",
"2": "söla",
"3": "",
"4": "to sully"
},
"expansion": "Swedish söla (“to sully”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "enm",
"2": "sulpen",
"3": "",
"4": "to defile, pollute"
},
"expansion": "Middle English sulpen (“to defile, pollute”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "ang",
"2": "solian",
"3": "",
"4": "to soil, become defiled, make or become foul"
},
"expansion": "Old English solian (“to soil, become defiled, make or become foul”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "soil"
},
"expansion": "soil",
"name": "l"
}
],
"etymology_text": "From Middle English sulen, sulien (“to become dirty; to defile, pollute, taint”), from Old English sylian (“to soil, pollute; to sully”), from Proto-West Germanic *sulwōn, *sulwijan (“to make dirty; to sully”), from Proto-Indo-European *sūl- (“thick liquid, muck”), perhaps conflated partially with Old French souillier (“to soil”) (modern French souiller) from the same Germanic source. The word is cognate with Danish søle (“to sully”), West Flemish seulewen (“to sully”) (Middle Dutch soluwen (“to sully”)), German sühlen (“to sully”), Old Saxon sulian (“to sully”), Swedish söla (“to sully”). Also compare Middle English sulpen (“to defile, pollute”), Old English solian (“to soil, become defiled, make or become foul”), and see more at soil.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "sullies",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "sully (plural sullies)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"hyphenation": [
"sul‧ly"
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English terms with obsolete senses",
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with rare senses"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1823 August 9, L. E. L., “Original Poetry. Poetical Catalogue of Pictures. Stothard’s Erato.”, in The Literary Gazette, and Journal of Belles Lettres, Arts, Sciences, &c., number 342, London: Printed by B. Bensley, Bolt Court, Fleet Street; published for the proprietors, at the Literary Gazette Office, Strand; sold also by Bell and Bradfute, Edinburgh; John Cumming, Dublin; and all other booksellers, newsmen, &c., →OCLC, page 507, column 3",
"text": "Roses, ere their crimson breast / Throws aside its green moss vest; / Young hearts, or ere toil, or care, / Or gold, has left a sully there.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A blemish."
],
"links": [
[
"blemish",
"blemish#Noun"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(rare, obsolete) A blemish."
],
"tags": [
"obsolete",
"rare"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈsʌli/",
"tags": [
"General-American",
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"rhymes": "-ʌli"
},
{
"audio": "en-us-sully.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/12/En-us-sully.ogg/En-us-sully.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/En-us-sully.ogg",
"tags": [
"General-American"
],
"text": "Audio (GA)"
},
{
"audio": "en-au-sully.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/39/En-au-sully.ogg/En-au-sully.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/En-au-sully.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"word": "sully"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (93a6c53 and 21a9316). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.