pollute
/pəˈluːt/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.86 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To make something harmful, especially by the addition of some unwanted product.
Transitive verb
verb
To make something or somewhere less suitable for some activity, especially by the introduction of some unnatural factor.
Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "The factory polluted the river when it cleaned its tanks."
- "The lights from the stadium polluted the night sky, and we couldn't see the stars."
- "But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death."
Etymology
From Middle English polluten, borrowed from Latin pollūtum, from pollūtus (“no longer virgin", "unchaste”), perfect passive participle of polluō (“soil", "defile", "dishonor”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: polluten, pollūtum
Usage
Inflected Forms
pollutes (present, singular)
polluting (participle, present)
polluted (participle, past)
polluted (past)
more pollute (comparative)
most pollute (superlative)