To make vicious, faulty, or imperfect; to render defective; to injure the substance or qualities of; to impair; to contaminate; to spoil; as, exaggeration vitiates a style of writing; sewer gas vitiates the air. "A will vitiated and growth out of love with the truth disposes the understanding to error and delusion." "Without care it may be used to vitiate our minds." "This undistinguishing complaisance will vitiate the taste of readers."