Skip to content

mancillar

to tarnish

verb mahn-see-YAHR Rare

Origin: From Old Spanish mancilla (stain, blemish), ultimately related to Latin macula (spot).

Also means

to sully

Usage Note

Mancillar is a formal, literary verb meaning to stain one's honour, name, or reputation. It rarely describes physical staining — manchar is used for that. The noun mancilla (blemish, dishonour) survives mainly in formal or archaic texts.

Examples

"No permitiré que mancillen el honor de nuestra familia."

Natural Translation

I will not allow them to tarnish our family's honour.

Explore Spanish by topic