contaminate

Verb

make impure
make radioactive by adding radioactive material
- "Don't drink the water--it's contaminated"
To make something dangerous or toxic by introducing impurities or foreign matter.
To soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association.
To make unfit for use by the introduction of unwholesome or undesirable elements.
To infect, usually of a deadly virus.

Adj

Contaminated.
Dirty, sinful, wicked, gross, etc.

Examples

Do not contaminate the peanut butter with the jelly.
This water is contaminated. It isn't safe to drink.

Origin / Etymology

First attested in the early 15ᵗʰ century, in Middle English; from Middle English contaminaten (“to defile; to infect with desease”), from contaminat(e) (“sullied, defiled; infected with desease”, also used as the past participle of contaminaten) + -en (verb-forming suffix), from Latin contāminātus, the perfect passive participle of contāminō (“to touch together, blend, mingle, corrupt, defile”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), which see for further informations. More at taste, tax, and taxi.

Synonyms

foul, pollute

Antonyms

decontaminate

Scrabble Score: 15

contaminate: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
contaminate: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
contaminate: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 19

contaminate: valid Words With Friends Word