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Glite Dictionary
🟤 Spotted or stained 🕳️ Morally stained 🕳️ To tarnish 🟤 To stain
to maculate

to maculate

9.9
To make something dirty or spoil its reputation
  • verb
  • /ˈmæk.jə.leɪt/
  • Formal
: manchar
  • The scandal maculated his previously unblemished reputation.

Examples

  • Don't maculate your integrity!

  • The scandal maculated his reputation.

  • Her white dress was maculated by mud from the garden path.

  • Years of neglect had maculated the walls with stains and mold.

  • The scandal maculated his previously unblemished reputation.

  • Her white dress was maculated by mud from the garden path.

  • Years of neglect had maculated the walls with stains and mold.

Synonyms

to tarnish
vsto maculate
65 4.9

To make something like metal or a reputation lose its shine

emphasizes moral or reputational spoilage rather than simple dullness
to taint
vsto maculate
37 7.3

To make something harmful or spoil its quality

is about damaging moral standing rather than physical contamination
to defile
vsto maculate
36 8.6

To make something dirty or harm its reputation

focuses on reputational or moral staining rather than physical violation
to mar
vsto maculate
29 5.3

To damage how something looks or its quality

refers more to moral or reputational spoilage than mere appearance
to sully
vsto maculate
25 7.6

Make someone's good name seem bad

focuses on moral or reputational spoiling rather than physical dirt
to besmirch
vsto maculate
  • Formal
15 8.8

Make a person or company look bad by saying bad things about them

is about staining moral or reputational worth rather than appearance
to dirty
vsto maculate
12 1.0

To make something unclean or covered with dirt

is about spoiling moral standing rather than physical uncleanness
to tarnish reputation
vsto maculate
8 6.0

Damage the respect and good opinion people have of someone or something

applies to moral or reputational damage rather than mere cleanliness
to darken
vsto maculate
4 3.8

Make people think less of someone after a bad action

is specifically about staining moral or reputational sense rather than general spoilage
to vitiate
vsto maculate
  • Formal
2 9.9

Make a contract or decision not valid by law

focuses on staining reputation or morals rather than legal invalidation
to smirch
vsto maculate
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To put a dirty mark on something like a dress or carpet

means a moral or reputational stain rather than literal dirt

Antonyms

to cleanse
  • Formal
135 4.8

Make a person or place free from unwanted feelings such as guilt

to purify
28 4.6

To remove dirt and bad chemicals from water or air to make them clean

How Tarnished

to defile
36 8.6
to maculate
  • Formal
9.9
to tarnish
65 4.9
to soil
23 4.5
to stain
46 3.2

Surface Forms

maculate infinitive
maculated past
maculated past participle
maculating present participle
maculates third person singular

Morphology

maculate = macula (opaque) = macul + ate

The moral/reputational sense and verbal usage rely on a Latinate combining form and suffix that are not transparent to most learners.

Etymology

Maculate as a verb comes from the Latin macula, meaning 'stain', and it is used when something is made dirty or spoiled, even in a moral way, as when a scandal maculates a reputation. So maculate means to stain, spoil, or tarnish.