Verb
1. place under suspicion or cast doubt upon;
"sully someone's reputation"2. make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically;
"The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air""Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man"3. charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone;
"The journalists have defamed me!" "The article in the paper sullied my reputation"