sully

Vocabulary Word

Definition

'Sully' is a term that means to stain, tarnish, or spoil something. You can use it to talk about things becoming physically dirty or an action that harms someone's good name or reputation.

Examples in Different Contexts

In film and entertainment, off-screen controversies can 'sully' an actor's public image. A film critic might write, 'Despite their immense talent, off-screen issues have sullied their reputation in recent years.'

Practice Scenarios

Business

Scenario:

Our company values its relationships and reputation highly. We wouldn't want something minor to spoil it.

Response:

I totally agree. We wouldn't want a petty misunderstanding to sully our partnership.

Technology

Scenario:

Our network traffic data demonstrating suspicious patterns recently. The firewall seems to be under attack. We need to ensure the data isn't tampered with.

Response:

It's critical to have a secure data set. We can't afford inconsistencies sulling our results.