taint

The first captivates via a young man’s earnest effusiveness; the second’s effusiveness, tainted by lovelorn glum, deepens.

Back then people believed that one drop of Black blood tainted the “superior race,” but having White blood made you “better.”

The UK Foreign Office has added a further 11 countries to its list warning of the risks of methanol poisoning from tainted alcoholic drinks.

“This kid is real. He’s not jaded or tainted by anything yet. And to Netflix’s credit, they took a chance on him.”

Even a tainted winner gets initial buzz and can change standards for competition.