Sully

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈsÊŒli/
• Rhymes: -ÊŒli

Alternative forms

• sullow

Origin

From Middle English sulien (also sulwen), from Old English sylian ("to sully, soil, pollute"), from Proto-Germanic *suliwōną, *sulwōną, *sulwijaną ("to sully, make dirty"), from Proto-Indo-European *sūl- ("thick liquid, muck"). Cognate with Old Saxon sulian ("to sully"), Middle Dutch soluwen ("to sully"), German sühlen ("to sully"), Danish søle ("to sully"), Swedish söla ("to sully"). Perhaps conflated partially with Old French souillier

French souiller}, from the same Germanic source. Related also to Old English solian ("to soil, become defiled, make or become foul"). More at soil.

Full definition of sully

Verb

1. (transitive) to soil or stain; to dirtyHe did not wish to sully his hands with gardening.
• Roscommonstatues sullied yet with sacrilegious smoke
2. (transitive) to damage or corruptHe did not wish to sully his reputation with an ill-mannered comment.
• Atterburyno spots to sully the brightness of this solemnity
3. (intransitive) To become soiled or tarnished.
• Francis BaconSilvering will sully and canker more than gilding.