pollute
gb/pəlˈut/ us/pəlˈut/
B2
Englisch
Bedeutungen
0 Bedeutungen
Verb
B2
action
1
make the environment dirty or harmful
To make the environment dirty or dangerous.
Verwendungsmuster:
pollute [air/water/land/place] (with [waste/chemicals/smoke])
Häufiger Fehler:
Use a direct object: say “pollute the river” (or “pollute the river with chemicals”), not “pollute to the river.”
Synonyme
contaminate (More neutral/technical; focuses on making something impure or unsafe.)
|
foul (Often suggests making something dirty in an unpleasant way.)
|
poison (Stronger; emphasizes causing harm or toxicity.)
Antonyme
clean (Remove dirt or harmful substances.)
|
purify (Make something pure or free of contaminants.)
Wortverbindungen
pollute the air
|pollute rivers
|pollute waterways
|pollute the ocean
|pollute the atmosphere
|pollute the environment
|industrial pollution pollutes
|heavily polluted areas
|polluted water
|polluted air
Themen
environment
|climate
|public_health
|science
Beispiele
- Car exhaust continues to pollute the air in many large cities.
- The factory was fined for polluting the river with untreated waste.
- Plastic trash can pollute the ocean for decades.
Beispiele für Lernende
- Smoke can pollute the air.
- Factories can pollute rivers.
Verb
B2
action
2
contaminate a substance or supply
To make something like water or food unsafe.
Verwendungsmuster:
pollute [water supply/food/sample] (with [bacteria/chemicals])
Häufiger Fehler:
In everyday English, “contaminate” is often preferred for food, medical samples, and lab work, but “pollute” is also used, especially in news reporting.
Synonyme
contaminate (Most common for substances, food, and lab contexts.)
|
taint (Often used for food/drink; suggests spoilage or bad quality.)
Antonyme
sterilize (Remove germs from something (especially equipment or surfaces).)
|
decontaminate (Remove contamination from a substance or area.)
Wortverbindungen
pollute the water supply
|pollute drinking water
|pollute a reservoir
|pollute a well
|pollute a food source
|pollute a sample
|polluted drinking water
|polluted groundwater
Themen
health
|food
|science
|public_health
Beispiele
- Runoff from the mine polluted nearby drinking water.
- A leak could pollute the reservoir and affect thousands of homes.
- If the container isn’t sealed properly, it can pollute the sample.
Beispiele für Lernende
- Chemicals can pollute drinking water.
Verb
formal
C1
action
3
spoil something morally or mentally
To make something less pure or good by adding bad influences.
Verwendungsmuster:
pollute [mind/debate/discourse/culture] (with [hatred/misinformation])
Häufiger Fehler:
This figurative use is usually formal; in casual speech people often say “ruin,” “mess up,” or “poison.”
Synonyme
corrupt (Often suggests moral damage or dishonest influence.)
|
taint (Suggests damaging something’s reputation or purity.)
|
poison (Strong; emphasizes harmful influence on attitudes or relationships.)
Antonyme
cleanse (Remove bad influences or harmful material (often figurative).)
|
purify (Make something morally or mentally cleaner or more wholesome.)
Wortverbindungen
pollute the mind
|pollute public discourse
|pollute the debate
|pollute the conversation
|pollute the culture
|pollute the internet with misinformation
|polluted thinking
Themen
society
|ethics
|communication
|media
Beispiele
- They argued that hate speech pollutes public discourse.
- She tried not to let bitterness pollute her memories of the trip.
- Misinformation can pollute the debate and distract from the facts.
Beispiele für Lernende
- Lies can pollute the discussion.
Grammatik
Grundform
pollute
IPA
GB/pəlˈut/
US/pəlˈut/
Silben & Betonung
pol - lute (2 Silben)
Stress on 2nd syllable (lute)
Wortformen
Verb
- Base: pollute
- 3rd Person Singular: pollutes
- Present Participle: polluting
- Past: polluted
Wortfamilie
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