sully
不機嫌な
解説 Definition
sully は、名誉・評判・美しさなどを「汚す」「傷つける」という意味の動詞です。物理的に汚す場合にも使えますが、特に人や組織の評価を損なうという文脈でよく使われます。
To damage the purity, dignity, or good reputation of a person, organization, discussion, or other valued thing. It can also mean to make something physically dirty, although the figurative sense is more common.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
sully は評判や名誉を、泥で汚すように「傷つける」動詞。sully a reputation、sully one’s image、sully a discussion の形で覚える。単なる criticize「批判する」と違い、それまで清く良好だった評価や場の品位に消えにくい汚点を付ける感覚がある。
Think of sully as putting a visible stain on something that was previously clean. The stain is often figurative: a false accusation can sully a reputation, a scandal can sully a company’s image, and personal attacks can sully a discussion. This is stronger and more specific than simply criticize, because it suggests lasting damage to honor, purity, or dignity. The verb can also describe physical dirt, but modern examples commonly concern reputation or character. Keep the useful pattern sully someone’s name or reputation in mind.
例文
A single false accusation can sully a person's reputation for years.
たった一つの誤った告発が、人の評判を何年も傷つけることがある。
The company tried to prevent the scandal from sullying its public image.
その会社は、その不祥事が世間でのイメージを傷つけるのを防ごうとした。
He refused to sully the discussion with personal attacks.
彼は個人攻撃で議論を汚すことを拒んだ。
sully の類義語・関連語
派生語
紛らわしい語
sully の語源・成り立ち Etymology
「sully」は古フランス語salir（汚す）に由来し、ゲルマン語の「泥・汚れ」を語根とする。本来は物理的に「汚す」動作を指すが、転じて「名誉を傷つける」比喩的意味へ発展。関連語soil（土・汚す）と比べれば、目に見える汚れと心の穢れが同じイメージで繋がると納得できる。
Sully entered English from Old French souiller, with related forms meaning “to soil or defile.” Its earliest senses concerned making something physically dirty. English later extended the image of a stain to abstract things such as honor, reputation, beauty, and public discussion. This figurative development parallels the use of soil as a verb meaning “make dirty,” although sully and soil are not simply interchangeable in every context.
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