Phrase
a taint of
phrase
一股子
a trace or slight amount of something, especially something undesirable
In use
There was a taint of corruption in the company's dealings.
His speech carried a taint of sarcasm that offended some listeners.
The old house had a taint of mold that made it unpleasant to live in.
a taint of + noun
名词通常指负面事物，如丑闻、腐败、怀疑等。
There was a taint of scandal in the report.
报告中有一股丑闻的气息。
with a taint of + noun
His speech came with a taint of hypocrisy.
他的演讲带着一股虚伪的味道。
without a taint of + noun
否定形式表示完全没有某种负面特征。
She lived without a taint of dishonesty.
她一生毫无不诚实的污点。
Common mistakes
There is a taint of sugar in the tea.There is a hint of sugar in the tea.
“Taint”含有污染、瑕疵的负面含义，不能用于中性或正面的事物（如糖）；应改用“hint of”表示微量。
The sky has a taint of blue.The sky has a tint of blue.
“Taint”意为污点或腐败气息，而描述颜色应使用“tint”（淡色调）；两者发音相似但意义不同。
Connections
Confusing words
- a touch of
- 一点点，一丝 · a touch of 无负面含义，可指任何少量；a taint of 特指少量的负面物质或影响
- a hint of
- 一丝，一点点 · a hint of 指细微的迹象或味道，中性或褒义；a taint of 含贬义，指不良的少量存在
- a trace of
- 微量，痕迹 · a trace of 强调极少量，中性；a taint of 强调该少量是污染或腐败的
Dictionary facts from BridgeDict normalized sources.