noun
uncleanness; impurity; defilement
General term for physical or spiritual impurity; can refer to dirt, contamination, or a state of being morally or ritually unclean.
心の汚れを洗い流す。
Wash away the impurities of the heart.
この水は汚れがひどい。
This water is heavily contaminated.
noun
disgrace; shame; stain; corruption
Metaphorical extension: a moral stain, blot on one's character, or corruption. Often used in expressions like 汚れを残す (leave a stain on one's reputation).
彼の経歴に汚れはない。
There is no stain on his career.
汚職事件で会社の名に汚れがついた。
The corruption scandal stained the company's name.
noun
ritual impurity; defilement from death or blood
Specifically refers to ritual uncleanness in Shinto or traditional contexts, arising from contact with death, childbirth, menstruation, etc. Often written 穢れ in religious texts.
神道では、死は穢れとみなされる。
In Shinto, death is considered a source of ritual impurity.
昔は出産も穢れと考えられていた。
In the past, childbirth was also considered a defilement.