sully

1 of 2

verb

sul·​ly ˈsə-lē How to pronounce sully (audio)
sullied; sullying

transitive verb

: to make soiled or tarnished : defile

sully

2 of 2

noun

plural sullies
archaic
: soil, stain

Examples of sully in a Sentence

Verb people that sully our state parks with their trash a once-gleaming marble interior sullied by decades of exposure to cigarette smoke
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Verb
The incident — which revived memories of a massive 3-million-gallon spill almost 50 years earlier — sullied some of the state’s most pristine beaches and a rare stretch of undeveloped coastline. Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2024 An equally nasty battle with Taylor Swift, over his ownership of her song catalogue, had sullied his public image. Alex Barasch, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 Nothing in life is ever just better or worse, purer or more sullied. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2024 Here, his white knight’s armor is sullied before his face is scarred, and how that fits this version of Gotham City makes for a fitting rallying cry all its own. Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sully 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English *sullien, probably alteration (influenced by Anglo-French suillier, soiller to soil) of sulen to soil, from Old English sylian

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1601, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sully was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near sully

Cite this Entry

“Sully.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sully. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

sully

verb
sul·​ly
ˈsəl-ē
sullied; sullying
: to make soiled or tarnished

Biographical Definition

Sully 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Sul·​ly ˈsə-lē How to pronounce Sully (audio)
(ˌ)sə-ˈlē,
sᵫ-ˈlē
Duc de 1560–1641 Maximilien de Béthune Baron de Rosny də-rō-ˈnē How to pronounce Sully (audio) French statesman

Sully

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Sul·​ly ˈsə-lē How to pronounce Sully (audio)
Thomas 1783–1872 American (English-born) painter

More from Merriam-Webster on sully

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