Soil — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈsȯi(-ə)l/

Meaning & Definition of Soil

Soil (verb)

  1. to stain or defile morally, corrupt
  2. to make unclean especially superficially, dirty
  3. to blacken or taint (something, such as a person's reputation) by word or deed
  4. to feed (livestock) in the barn or an enclosure with fresh grass or green food; also, to purge (livestock) by feeding on green food

Soil (noun)

  1. soilage, stain
  2. moral defilement, corruption
  3. something that spoils or pollutes
  4. firm land, earth
  5. the upper layer of earth that may be dug or plowed and in which plants grow
  6. the superficial unconsolidated and usually weathered part of the mantle of a planet and especially of the earth

Soil (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. foul matter that mars the purity or cleanliness of something

    "got some sort of soil on my white pants"

    similar: crud, dirt, filth, grime, gunk, muck, smut
    related: scum, sewage, sewerage, slime, sludge, swill, dross, dust (British), garbage, junk, litter, refuse, rubbish, scrap, trash, waste, crock (dialect), soot, dinginess, dirtiness, dustiness, filthiness, foulness, griminess, grubbiness, nastiness, squalidness, uncleanliness, uncleanness
    near: cleanliness, cleanness

  2. solid matter discharged from an animal's alimentary canal

    "the horse lifted its tail and deposited its soil on the grass"

    similar: dirt, doo-doo, dropping, dung, excrement, excreta, feces, ordure, poop, scat, slops, waste
    related: night soil, stool, dunghill, guano, manure, midden, muck, spoor, sewage, sewerage, coprolite

  3. the loose surface material in which plants naturally grow

    "bought rich soil to plant flowers in"

    similar: clod, dirt, earth, ground, mold
    related: blackland, clay, gault (chiefly British), gley, guck, gumbo, kaolin, muck, mud, dust, gravel, sand, humus, loam, topsoil, alluvium, colluvium, detritus, loess, marl, sediment, shingle, silt, duff, mull, subsoil, substratum

  4. the solid part of our planet's surface as distinguished from the sea and air

    "happy to have soil under my feet after that long sea voyage"

    similar: dirt, dust, earth, ground, land, terra firma
    related: continent, landmass, zone, island, isthmus, mainland, peninsula

Soil (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make dirty

    "oil and grease soiled the mechanic's shirt"

    similar: befoul, begrime, bemire, besmirch, blacken, daub, dirty, distain (archaic), foul, gaum (dialect), grime, mire, muck, muddy, smirch, smudge, stain, sully
    related: contaminate, defile, pollute, taint, discolor, confuse, disarrange, disarray, dishevel, disorder, draggle, jumble, mess, muddle, colly (chiefly British dialect), crock (dialect)
    opposite: clean, cleanse
    near: decontaminate, purge, purify, disinfect, sanitize, brush, dry-clean, dust, launder, mop, rinse, scour, scrub, sweep, wash, wipe, brighten, deodorize, freshen, renew, spruce (up), straighten (up), tidy (up)

Related Entry: Night soil (noun)

Night soil is a different word from Soil. The synonyms below are for night soil, not for soil.

  1. as in stool

    similar: stool, dirt, doo-doo, dropping, dung, excrement, excreta, feces, ordure, poop, scat, slops, soil, waste, dunghill, guano, manure, midden, muck, spoor, sewage, sewerage, coprolite

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Soil

The most common words with a similar meaning to Soil:

Archaic: distain
Dialect: gaum
crud, dirt, filth, grime, gunk, muck, smut, doo-doo, dropping, dung, excrement, excreta, feces, ordure, poop, scat, slops, waste, clod, earth, ground, mold, dust, land, terra firma, befoul, begrime, bemire, besmirch, blacken, daub, dirty, foul, mire, muddy, smirch, smudge, stain, sully

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Soil

Words with the opposite meaning of Soil:

clean, cleanse

Related Words for Soil

scum, sewage, sewerage, slime, sludge, swill, dross, garbage, junk, litter, refuse, rubbish, scrap, trash, crock, soot, dinginess, dirtiness, dustiness, filthiness, foulness, griminess, grubbiness, nastiness, squalidness, uncleanliness, uncleanness, night soil, stool, dunghill

Near Antonyms of Soil

cleanliness, cleanness, decontaminate, purge, purify, disinfect, sanitize, brush, dry-clean, dust, launder, mop, rinse, scour, scrub, sweep, wash, wipe, brighten, deodorize, freshen, renew, spruce (up), straighten (up), tidy (up)

Word Forms of Soil

Inflections: soiled, soiling, soils

Origin & Etymology of Soil

Middle English, from Anglo-French soiller, suiller, from Old French soil wallow of a wild boar, abyss, from Latin solium chair, bathtub; akin to Latin sedēre to sit sit

First known use: 13th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Soil

Words & Phrases Containing Soil

soil pipe, soil science, soil series, soil one's hands, desert soil, free-soil

Frequently Asked Questions about Soil

What does "Soil" mean?

"Soil" means to stain or defile morally, corrupt. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to stain or defile morally, corrupt. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Soil"?

Other words for "Soil" include crud, dirt, filth, grime, gunk, muck, smut and doo-doo. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Soil" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Soil"?

There are 123 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Soil". Common alternatives include crud, dirt, filth, grime, gunk, muck, smut, doo-doo, dropping and dung.

What is the opposite of "Soil"?

Antonyms of "Soil" include clean and cleanse. Near antonyms include cleanliness, cleanness, decontaminate and purge.

How do you use "Soil" in a sentence?

Examples of "Soil" in a sentence: "got some sort of soil on my white pants"; "the horse lifted its tail and deposited its soil on the grass"; "bought rich soil to plant flowers in".

Is "Soil" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Soil" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Soil" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Soil" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Soil"?

"Soil" is pronounced /ˈsȯi(-ə)l/.