contaminate
gb/kəntˈæmənˌeɪt/ us/kəntˈæmənˌeɪt/
B2
영어
~ 8500
의미
의미 0개
동사
B2
action
1
make something dirty or unsafe
to make something dirty or not safe by putting a bad or dangerous substance in or on it
사용 패턴：
to contaminate [something] with [substance]
자주 하는 실수：
Learners sometimes confuse "contaminate" with "pollute" and use them interchangeably. "Pollute" is more common for environmental problems in general, while "contaminate" often highlights that a specific thing (water, food, blood, sample) has been made unsafe by a particular substance. Another common mistake is using the wrong preposition: it is usually "contaminate [something] with [substance]", not *"contaminate [something] by [substance]" in this core sense.
유의어
pollute (Commonly used for air, water, and environment; slightly broader and more frequent in everyday speech.)
|
taint (Suggests adding something that spoils purity or quality; can sound slightly more formal or literary.)
|
foul (Emphasizes making something very dirty or unpleasant, especially in smell or taste.)
반의어
purify (Focuses on removing dirty or harmful substances so that something becomes clean or safe.)
연어
contaminate water
|contaminate food
|contaminate soil
|contaminate drinking water
|contaminate the environment
|contaminate the blood
주제
environment
|health
|science
|core_vocabulary
예문
- Chemicals from the factory leaked into the river and contaminated the drinking water.
- The meat was contaminated with bacteria and had to be thrown away.
- Oil from the shipwreck has contaminated miles of coastline.
- Lead paint can contaminate the dust in old houses and harm children.
- Scientists are worried that plastic waste is contaminating the entire food chain.
학습자용 예문
- The dirty water contaminated the well.
- Do not let raw chicken juice contaminate other food.
- The river was contaminated with oil after the accident.
- Old pipes can contaminate the water in your home.
- The doctor said the blood sample was contaminated and could not be used.
동사
C1
action
2
influence so it becomes corrupt
to have a bad effect on people, ideas, or systems so that they become less pure or less good
사용 패턴：
to contaminate [abstract thing] with [negative influence]
자주 하는 실수：
Learners sometimes think this figurative sense is always physical and try to use concrete objects as the thing that is contaminated. In this meaning, the object is usually abstract, like "minds", "culture", "process", or "debate". Also, do not say *"contaminate someone to bad ideas"; use "contaminate someone with bad ideas" or "contaminate their thinking".
유의어
corrupt (Very close in meaning; stresses moral damage, especially in politics, money, or power relations.)
|
poison (Strong, figurative term; emphasizes deeply harmful influence on attitudes or relationships.)
반의어
uplift (Suggests improving people morally or emotionally, the opposite of dragging them down.)
연어
contaminate young minds
|contaminate public opinion
|contaminate the jury
|contaminate the process
|contaminate the culture
주제
society
|ethics
|psychology
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
예문
- Many parents worry that violent games will contaminate their children's minds.
- The judge ruled that the leaked interview could contaminate the jury pool.
- He argued that money from special interest groups would contaminate the political process.
- Some critics say that tourism has contaminated the local culture with outside values.
- Hate speech online can contaminate public debate and make compromise impossible.
학습자용 예문
- They say bad friends can contaminate a young person’s character.
- The lawyer said news reports might contaminate the jury.
- Some people think these ideas will contaminate our culture.
- Greed can contaminate a group that once wanted to help others.
- The teacher did not want rumors to contaminate the discussion.
문법
기본형
contaminate
IPA
GB/kəntˈæmənˌeɪt/
US/kəntˈæmənˌeɪt/
음절 및 강세
con - tam - in - ate （4음절）
Stress on 2nd syllable (tam)
활용형
Verb
- Base: contaminate
- 3rd Person Singular: contaminates
- Present Participle: contaminating
- Past: contaminated
관련 단어
Forms
contaminates
verb
contaminating
verb
contaminated
verb
Core family
contamination
noun B2
Related words
contaminant
noun B2
decontaminate
verb
Negative and opposite forms
uncontaminated
adjective
Advanced or less common
decontamination
noun
표현
contaminate the water supply
1/kəntˈæmənˌeɪt ðə wˈɔtɚ səplˈaɪ/
fixed phrase
make a town’s water unsafe
to make the water that many people use for drinking and daily life dirty or dangerous
예문
- A broken sewage pipe can contaminate the water supply of an entire neighborhood.
- Officials warned that floodwaters might contaminate the water supply.
- The chemical spill did not contaminate the water supply, according to the city report.
contaminate with
1/kəntˈæmənˌeɪt wˈɪθ/
fixed phrase
make something impure with something
to make something dirty or unsafe by putting a named bad substance in or on it
예문
- The lettuce was contaminated with E. coli bacteria.
- The soil around the factory is contaminated with heavy metals.
- Several batches of medicine were contaminated with glass particles.