To make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically.

To make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically.

• A. Tarnish
• B. Defile
• C. Stain
• D. Sully

Answer: (A)

Tarnish captures both the literal and figurative idea here: to tarnish means to become dull, discolored, or corroded by exposure to air, especially with metals. That same sense transfers nicely to how a reputation or image can be tarnished—gradually, by outside factors, leaving a spotty or less shiny impression. So this word uniquely ties together the physical process of oxidation and the metaphorical idea of something once bright becoming less pure or pristine. Stain refers to leaving a mark, but it doesn’t inherently involve oxidation or the sense of a gradual loss of luster. Sully and defile convey dirtying or corrupting, but they’re broader and do not emphasize the specific air-exposure idea or the neat metaphor of something becoming tarnished rather than merely tainted.

Tarnish captures both the literal and figurative idea here: to tarnish means to become dull, discolored, or corroded by exposure to air, especially with metals. That same sense transfers nicely to how a reputation or image can be tarnished—gradually, by outside factors, leaving a spotty or less shiny impression. So this word uniquely ties together the physical process of oxidation and the metaphorical idea of something once bright becoming less pure or pristine.

Stain refers to leaving a mark, but it doesn’t inherently involve oxidation or the sense of a gradual loss of luster. Sully and defile convey dirtying or corrupting, but they’re broader and do not emphasize the specific air-exposure idea or the neat metaphor of something becoming tarnished rather than merely tainted.