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to soil

to soil

59 4.5
To make something dirty with mud or dirt
  • verb
  • /sɔɪl/
translation icon : ensuciar
  • I mopped my face hurriedly and tucked the soiled kerchief in my belt.
  • soil the paper
  • become soiled
  • soiled hands

I would rather have a beggar's crust and have them murder me unarmed and unresisting than to soil my life with their blood, right?

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Examples

  • Looks like he feels unclean, unshaven, slightly drunk, his clothes soiled, torn, and disheveled.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • And if any of the suspects' clothes were soiled, there might be perfectly innocuous explanations.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • I'm not going to soil anything.

  • On the couch sat a man in a soiled dark blue suit.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • You soiled the sanctity of my home!

  • The dive's owner, Lloyd, a fat, aging biker-type in a soiled apron, stands behind the bar.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Wastewater from kitchen sinks, dishwashers, or laundering of soiled diapers typically is heavily contaminated.

    Academic text (2002)
  • He accidentally soiled his shirt while eating lunch.

  • The children soiled the clean floor with muddy footprints.

  • Please be careful not to soil the documents with ink.

Synonyms

to stain
vsto soil
113 3.2

To put color on something to change how it looks

focuses on dirt or mud contact rather than only color change
to foul
vsto soil
18 4.5

To make something dirty or blocked so it does not work properly

is mainly about making dirty or stained, not obstruction
to dirty
vsto soil
14 1.0

To make something unclean or covered with dirt

focuses on damage from dirt or mud caused by direct contact
to muddy
vsto soil
5 1.9

Make something dirty with mud or sediment

covers making dirty by any substance, not only wet sticky messes
to muck
vsto soil
3 3.5

To make something dirty with mud

is the general action of soiling often by simple contact
to mire
vsto soil
1 7.9

To make something dirty by covering it with mud

includes soiling by dry dirt as well as wet mud contact
to smirch
vsto soil
  • Archaic
1 9.9

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

is the plain act of making dirty, without implying tarnish
to grime
vsto soil
1 6.6

To make something dirty by covering it with dirt or soot

emphasizes becoming dirty by contact rather than gradual buildup
to muddy up
vsto soil
1 3.5

To make something dirty with wet dirt, for example shoes or floors

is a more general dirt action beyond only muddy covering
to begrime
vsto soil
1 9.4

To cover something with dark dirt so it becomes dirty

is broader, meaning any kind of dirt or staining by contact
to bespatter
vsto soil
1 8.9

To splash mud or water onto something and make it dirty

describes soiling in any way, not only by spotted splashes
to muck up
vsto soil
  • Informal
6.7

To make something dirty with mud or dirt

describes soiling broadly, not only the messy spreading action
to bemire
vsto soil
9.9

To cover someone or something with mud

is the neutral verb for causing general dirt or stains
to smut
vsto soil
  • Archaic
7.9

To stain something with black dirt or soot

covers soiling from any dirt source, not only soot like marks
to maculate
vsto soil
  • Literature
9.9

To mark with spots or stains

is the simple physical action of making things dirty by contact
to colly
vsto soil
  • Archaic
9.9

To make something dirty or stained

is more neutral, covering ordinary dirt without strong moral tone
to moil
vsto soil
  • Archaic
9.9

To make something wet or dirty

focuses on soiling specifically by dirt, mud, or solid contact

Antonyms

1.0

To remove dirt and stains

11 3.7

Make something clean and free from bacteria

Phrasal Verbs

Add compost or other nutrients to soil to make it better for growing plants

5.8

To add nutrients to soil so plants grow better

9.9

To accidentally pee or poo in your clothes because you are very scared

Compounds

soil erosion
  • Specialized
3 3.8

The top part of land being worn away by rain or wind

3 2.3

Ground that is rich in nutrients and helps plants grow well

1 4.4

The land where you are born and grow up

1 2.5

Loose ground made mostly of sand that lets water drain quickly

soil conservation
  • Specialized
1 3.5

Actions that stop soil washing away and keep it good for growing plants

Soil that lets extra water drain away easily

night soil
  • NSFW
1 9.9

Human waste collected at night and used to fertilize fields

bog soil
  • Specialized
7.4

Soil that forms in bogs, very wet and made of dead plants

chernozemic soil
  • Specialized
9.9

Fertile black soil with a thick layer of rotting plant material that grows crops well

desertic soil
  • Specialized
8.1

Ground in desert areas that holds little water and few nutrients

Soil in very dry areas with little plant material

alluvial soil
  • Specialized
4.2

Fine earth left by rivers that is soft and very good for growing crops

A former 19th century US party that opposed slavery spreading into western lands

free-soil
  • Archaic
9.9

Of states or territories in the United States that did not allow slavery before the Civil War

leaf soil
  • Specialized
3.8

Earth made from dead leaves that break down and help plants grow

micaceous soil
  • Specialized
8.2

Soil that contains shiny mineral flakes and drains water well

gilgai soil
  • Australian
9.9

Soil with small raised areas and low dips that forms in clay and swells and shrinks

gumbo soil
  • Specialized
8.4

Heavy, sticky ground that becomes hard to work after rain

regur soil
  • Indian
9.9

A rich black soil found in India that is very good for growing cotton and other crops

residual soil
  • Specialized
7.6

Soil that stays above the rock it came from after the rock wears away

Soil made mostly of old, partly rotted plants that holds water and nutrients

podzol soil
  • Specialized
9.5

Acidic soil with low nutrients found under pine trees in cold, wet areas

9.9

A soil that forms in cold, wet areas under pine trees with a dark organic mat over a pale layer

Ground under tall grass that is very good for growing crops

surface soil
  • Specialized
3.4

The top layer of ground that has the most plant food

soil pipe
  • Specialized
5.6

A pipe that carries waste water from toilets and sinks to the drain

soil profile
  • Specialized
3.9

A side view of the ground showing soil layers from topsoil down to the rock beneath

A tool that removes stones and clumps from fine soil

soil bank
  • Archaic
6.6

A government plan that pays farmers to rest fields and grow plants to improve soil

soil conditioner
  • Specialized
4.0

A material added to soil like compost to help it hold water and let air in

soil horizon
  • Specialized
6.3

A layer of earth that is different from the layers above and below it

soil-borne
  • Specialized
4.2

Germs carried or growing in soil that cause plant disease

soil-building
  • Specialized
5.6

Plants grown to improve the soil and make it richer

7.7

Dark wet ground that has an always frozen layer under it in Arctic regions

Soil that still has stones or large clumps because it was not put through a sieve

How Dirty

to defile
38 8.6
to soil
59 4.5
to stain
113 3.2

Surface Forms

soil infinitive
soiled past
soiled past participle
soiling present participle
soils third person singular

Etymology

Soil as a verb comes from the noun for dirt; to soil something is to 'make it dirty', either by mud on clothes or by staining someone's reputation.