Sully
/ˈsʌli/noun
To damage the purity, reputation, or integrity of something or someone.
Did you know?Sully comes from a French word meaning “to soil,” ultimately from Latin solium, so the idea of moral staining was built right into the word’s earliest history.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sol-
“To be dirty, muddy, or soiled.”
Latin
Latin
solium
“A dirty place or stain; later associated with filth and soil-like contamination.”
Old French
Old French
soillier
“To soil, stain, or make foul.”
Middle English
English
sullen / soulen
“To stain or defile; to tarnish morally or physically.”
Modern English
English
sully
“To tarnish, defile, or damage purity or reputation.”