CONTAMINATED Synonyms: 92 Similar and Opposite Words

contaminated 1 of 2

adjective

kən-ˈta-mə-ˌnā-təd

Definition of contaminated

as in polluted

containing foreign or lower-grade substances the hospitals had no choice but to throw out the contaminated blood supply

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

contaminated

2 of 2

verb

past tense of contaminate

as in poisoned

to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable a supply of drinking water that was contaminated by a toxic waste dump

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of contaminated

Adjective

Many Coloradans spent the last few months changing their diets, avoiding produce in fear of tainted food, as nearly 20,000 people across the country were sick after a historic cyclospora outbreak that came from contaminated lettuce. — Jaimie Dodge, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 When people use contaminated soap, bacteria can enter the body through cuts and cracks in the skin and lead to infections, especially in people with weakened immune systems. — Jenna Anderson, HEALTH, 16 Sep. 2026

Verb

To add to the dire situation, up to 80% of large parts of the city’s groundwater is contaminated, both by sewage and by naturally occurring substances such as arsenic. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026 Such environments can remain unstable, contaminated and dangerous after an explosion. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for contaminated

Recent Examples of Synonyms for contaminated

Adjective

One of the singular features of Baotou, an industrial city of 2 million people in Inner Mongolia, is a 10-square-kilometer (4-square-mile) lake that is among the most polluted in the world.

— Glenn Zorpette, IEEE Spectrum, 15 Oct. 2026
Lahn, who was endorsed early in his primary by political committee MAHA Action, has diverged from many of his Republican peers in directly linking polluted water and agrochemicals to Iowa’s cancer crisis.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of polluted

Verb

Apparently, Griffith now suspected that the Mesmers had poisoned Briswalter, and planned to poison him next.

— Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 14 Oct. 2026
The video cuts to Swift living out exactly what Johnson’s been living through, revealing that Farrell poisoned Swift, leading to her death.

— Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of poisoned

Adjective

In the spring, the Supreme Court weakened the Voting Rights Act, a landmark civil rights law, making way for Republican states to redraw their congressional maps and igniting fears of diluted Black representation.

— New York Times, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Use a dry microfiber cloth for routine cleaning, and diluted dish soap or white vinegar to remove more stubborn, sticky film.

— Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of diluted

Adjective

Finally, the third recruits seaweed to gather minerals that are otherwise too dilute to chase.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 July 2026
Clean and disinfect your pruning shears between working on each plant by dipping them into a dilute 10% solution of chlorine bleach water or rubbing alcohol.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 4 July 2026

Definition of dilute

Adjective

Some say that our country is too tainted and that political progress can be had only by extra-legal means.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
Many Coloradans spent the last few months changing their diets, avoiding produce in fear of tainted food, as nearly 20,000 people across the country were sick after a historic cyclospora outbreak that came from contaminated lettuce.

— Jaimie Dodge, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of tainted

Browse Nearby Words

contaminate

contaminated

contaminates

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Contaminated.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contaminated. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of contaminated

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

jilt

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes