contaminate

contaminate — verb

1. to add a harmful or unwanted substance to something such as water, soil, or food

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to add a harmful or unwanted substance to something such as water, soil, or food, so that it becomes dirty, unhealthy, or no longer safe to use.

例句

The factory waste contaminated the river, killing thousands of fish.

collocation: contaminated + river / water / soil

Bao accidentally contaminated the laboratory samples by touching them with bare hands.

passive equivalent: contaminated by + agent

同義詞
  • pollute

    broader scope, typically describes large-scale environmental damage to air, water, or land

  • taint

    suggests a small amount of impurity that spoils the whole; common in food-safety contexts

  • infect

    specifically about disease-causing microorganisms; implies biological spread through a host

反義詞
  • purify

    to remove harmful substances and restore cleanliness

  • cleanse

    thorough cleaning, sometimes with a spiritual or medical sense

文法句型

contaminate + noun phrase (the object that becomes impure)

be contaminated with/by + noun phrase (the harmful substance or source)

用法筆記

Frequently appears in the passive voice (be/get contaminated). Common with prepositions 'by' (identifying the source) and 'with' (specifying the harmful substance). Particularly frequent in environmental, medical, and food-safety reporting.

常見錯誤

❌The water contaminated with chemicals.
✅The water was contaminated with chemicals.
💡'contaminate' is transitive; without an object, you must use the passive form.
❌The bacteria contaminated the meat.' (sounds like bacteria were trying to make meat impure)
✅The meat was contaminated by bacteria.
💡For microorganisms, use passive or specify that the bacteria are the contaminating agent.

2. to harm people's thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes by introducing false, harmful,

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

to harm people's thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes by introducing false, harmful, or dishonest information.

例句

The senator accused the news channel of contaminating public opinion with misleading reports.

collocation: contaminate + public opinion

Sade's research shows that unchecked online rumors can contaminate people's understanding of science.

同義詞
  • corrupt

    stronger moral judgment; implies a deliberate turning from good to bad

  • poison

    more vivid and emotional; often used metaphorically for relationships or the atmosphere in a group

  • taint

    suggests a slight but lingering negative influence; less intense than 'corrupt'

反義詞
  • purify

    to remove bad influences and restore moral or intellectual clarity

文法句型

contaminate + abstract noun (mind / opinion / values / judgment)

contaminate + noun phrase + with + noun phrase (the bad influence)

用法筆記

Almost exclusively formal or literary; rarely heard in casual conversation. Common abstract objects include 'mind(s)', 'opinion', 'values', 'attitudes', 'judgment', and 'the political process'. Avoid using a person as the direct object — the target must be an abstract quality or a group of people referred to by a collective noun.

常見錯誤

❌The violent movie contaminated my little brother.
✅My parents worried that violent media could contaminate young children's values.
💡The direct object should be an abstract concept (mind/values/beliefs), not a person.