The word "deterge" means to clean or cleanse thoroughly. Antonyms for this word include dirty, contaminate, soil, taint, and pollute. These words represent the opposite meaning of deterge and may connote a sense of impurity, filthiness, or uncleanliness. The antonyms of deterge are useful when describing the opposite of a cleansing process or when discussing the causes of a dirty condition. For example, one might say "The stagnant pond had become contaminated with toxins, and no amount of deterging could make it safe for swimming." In this case, the antonym "contaminate" provides context for the difficulty of cleansing the pond.