sully

v 1: place under suspicion or cast doubt upon; "sully someone's

reputation" [syn: {defile}, {corrupt}, {taint}, {cloud}]

2: make dirty or spotty; also used metaphorically: "The silver

was tarnished by the long exposure to the air"; "Her

reputation was sullied after the affair with a married

man" [syn: {tarnish}, {maculate}, {defile}]

3: charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good

name and reputation of someone; "The journalists have

defamed me!" The article in the paper sullied my

reputation" [syn: {defame}, {slander}, {smirch}, {asperse},

{denigrate}, {calumniate}, {smear}, {besmirch}]