WordWeb Online

1. Place under suspicion or cast doubt upon
   "sully someone's reputation"
   - defile, corrupt, taint, cloud
    
2. Make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically
   "Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man"
   - tarnish, stain, 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"; "The journalists have slandered me!" "The article in the paper sullied my reputation"; "The journalists have smirched me!" "The article in the paper sullied my reputation"; "The journalists have aspersed me!" "The article in the paper sullied my reputation"; "The journalists have denigrated me!" "The article in the paper sullied my reputation"; "The journalists have calumniated me!" "The article in the paper sullied my reputation"; "The journalists have smeared me!" "The article in the paper sullied my reputation"; "The journalists have besmirched me!" "The article in the paper sullied my reputation"
   - defame, slander, smirch, asperse, denigrate, calumniate, smear, besmirch

1. United States painter (born in England) of portraits and historical scenes (1783-1872)
   - Thomas Sully
    
2. French statesman (1560-1641)
   - Duc de Sully, Maxmilien de Bethune

Derived forms: sullied, sullies, sullying

Type of: accuse, blob, blot, charge, deflower, fleck, impair, mar, national leader, painter, solon, spoil, spot, statesman, vitiate

Encyclopedia: Sully, Iowa Sully, Maurice de Sully, Maximilien de Bethune, Duc de Sully, IA Sully Sully, Calvados Sully, Glamorgan Sully, Saône-et-Loire Sully, Vale of Glamorgan Sully, Wales Sully, Saone-et-Loire Sully, Maximilien de Béthune, Duc de Sully, Oise Sully, Quebec