contaminate

About 0.65 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. verb To make something dangerous or toxic by introducing impurities or foreign matter.

   This water is contaminated. It isn't safe to drink.

2. verb To soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association.
3. verb To make unfit for use by the introduction of unwholesome or undesirable elements.

   Do not contaminate the peanut butter with the jelly.

4. verb To infect, usually of a deadly virus.
5. adjective Contaminated.
6. adjective Dirty, sinful, wicked, gross, etc.

Similar words

pollute foul taint polluted spoil spread affect enter pollution poison

Often followed by

the a it food their water our and them groundwater

Word family

contaminated contaminates contaminating contaminative contaminator contaminators