from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Sully \Sul"ly\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Sullied}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Sullying}.] [OE. sulien, AS. sylian, fr. sol mire; akin to
G. suhle mire, sich, s["u]hlen to wallow, Sw. s["o]la to
bemire, Dan. s["o]le, Goth. bisaulijan to defile.]
To soil; to dirty; to spot; to tarnish; to stain; to darken;
-- used literally and figuratively; as, to sully a sword; to
sully a person's reputation.
[1913 Webster]
Statues sullied yet with sacrilegious smoke.
--Roscommon.
[1913 Webster]
No spots to sully the brightness of this solemnity.
--Atterbury.
[1913 Webster]