Vitiate

Quick meaning: Vitiate is a verb meaning (transitive) To spoil, make faulty; to reduce the value, quality, or effectiveness of something.

Meaning

(transitive) To spoil, make faulty; to reduce the value, quality, or effectiveness of something.

More Meanings

1. (transitive) To debase or morally corrupt.
2. (transitive, archaic) To violate, to rape.
3. (transitive) To make something ineffective, to invalidate.

Example Sentences

Unfortunately, as Anderson and Sørenson (1996) and Bowsher (2002) document, instrument proliferation can vitiate the test.

There was excellent blood in his veins—royal stuff; though sadly vitiated, I fear, by the cannibal propensity he nourished in his untutored youth.

The least admixture of a lie, -- for example, the taint of vanity, the least attempt to make a good impression, a favorable appearance, -- will instantly vitiate the effect.

Such diversion as Podson could extort from his isolation was soon vitiated by repetition. He surfed. He sun-baked - with discretion till his skin had peeled and given him a harder cuticle.

Word Forms

• vitiates
• vitiating
• vitiated

Synonyms for vitiate

Depending on context, synonyms include mess up, ruin, degrade, devalue, ball up, blight.

Antonyms for vitiate

Common opposites include validate.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include debase, impair, demoralize, deprave, pervert, profane.

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