Word
pollute
Phoneticspol·lute, stress on the second syllable
US/pəˈɫut/
UK/pəlˈuːt/
Definition
v. to make something dirty or harmful by adding bad substances to it. You use this when talking about making the air, water, or soil unhealthy.
v. to contaminate or make impure by the addition of harmful or undesirable substances. Transitive — requires a direct object representing the medium being contaminated.
Examples
“Factories often pollute the local river.”
“The government is trying to find new ways to prevent companies from polluting the atmosphere with carbon dioxide.”
“While natural processes can sometimes pollute the environment, human industrial activity remains the primary source of toxic waste in modern ecosystems.”
Examples
simple
“Factories often pollute the local river.”
contextual
“The government is trying to find new ways to prevent companies from polluting the atmosphere with carbon dioxide.”
complex
“While natural processes can sometimes pollute the environment, human industrial activity remains the primary source of toxic waste in modern ecosystems.”
Real-World Examples
“The Air Quality Index (AQI) measures how clean or polluted the air is.” “Older, more polluting vehicles had to pay a daily charge to drive in central London.” Etymology
From Middle English polluten, borrowed from Latin pollūtum, from pollūtus (“no longer virgin", "unchaste”), perfect passive participle of polluō (“soil", "defile", "dishonor”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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