Synonyms for stain
steɪnstain

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. stain

   To color is to impart a color desired or undesired, temporary or permanent, or, in the intransitive use, to assume a color in any way; as, he colored with shame and vexation. To dye is to impart a color intentionally and with a view to permanence, and especially so as to pervade the substance or fiber of that to which it is applied. To stain is primarily to discolor, to impart a color undesired and perhaps unintended, and which may or may not be permanent. Thus, a character "dyed in the wool" is one that has received some early, permanent, and pervading influence; a character stained with crime or guilt is debased and perverted. Stain is, however, used of giving an intended and perhaps pleasing color to wood, glass, etc., by an application of coloring-matter which enters the substance a little below the surface, in distinction from painting, in which coloring-matter is spread upon the surface; dyeing is generally said of wool, yarn, cloth, or similar materials which are dipped into the coloring liquid. Figuratively, a standard or a garment may be dyed with blood in honorable warfare; an assassin's weapon is stained with the blood of his victim. To tinge is to color slightly, and may also be used of giving a slight flavor, or a slight admixture of one ingredient or quality with another that is more pronounced.

   Synonyms:
   blot, color, discolor, disgrace, dishonor, dye, soil, spot, sully, tarnish, tinge, tint

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. stainnoun

   Synonyms:
   color, dye, tinge, discoloration, blemish, blot, stigma, slur, shame, taint

2. stainverb

   Synonyms:
   dye, color, tinge, slur, shame, paint, blot, soil, sully, discolor, tarnish, taint, disgrace, dishonor, befoul, blemish, stigmatize

   Antonyms:
   purify, wash, cleanse, absolve, ornament, decorate, emblazon, signalize, honor

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. stain, discoloration, discolourationnoun

   a soiled or discolored appearance

   "the wine left a dark stain"

   Synonyms:
   smear, discoloration, grease, dirt, spot, discolouration, grunge, blot, smirch, soil, mark, filth, stigma, grime, brand

2. stainnoun

   (microscopy) a dye or other coloring material that is used in microscopy to make structures visible

   Synonyms:
   smear, discoloration, grease, dirt, spot, discolouration, grunge, blot, smirch, soil, mark, filth, stigma, grime, brand

3. dirt, filth, grime, soil, stain, grease, grungenoun

   the state of being covered with unclean things

   Synonyms:
   land, territory, soil, spot, mark, grunge, filthiness, skank, discolouration, lubricating oil, grease, obscenity, discoloration, brand, foulness, ground, vulgarism, shit, dirty word, grime, stigma, scandal, crap, smear, shite, turd, dirt, smut, filth, malicious gossip, nastiness, smirch, poop, crud, blot

4. mark, stigma, brand, stainnoun

   a symbol of disgrace or infamy

   "And the Lord set a mark upon Cain"--Genesis

   Synonyms:
   marking, soil, spot, mark, sucker, gull, steel, firebrand, target, crisscross, fall guy, grease, mug, score, discoloration, sign, make, brand, grade, smear, chump, dirt, grime, stigma, home run, marque, scratch, discolouration, brand name, filth, patsy, blade, grunge, fool, trade name, smirch, scrape, cross, print, scar, bell ringer, sword, bull's eye, marker, soft touch, blot

5. blot, smear, smirch, spot, stainverb

   an act that brings discredit to the person who does it

   "he made a huge blot on his copybook"

   Synonyms:
   vilification, billet, berth, blot, place, spot, mark, grunge, touch, dapple, discolouration, post, grease, spotlight, topographic point, point, bit, brand, position, smear, cytosmear, grime, stigma, fleck, slur, dirt, maculation, daub, speckle, malignment, smudge, filth, discoloration, smirch, situation, office, soil, pip, cytologic smear, patch

6. stainverb

   color with a liquid dye or tint

   "Stain this table a beautiful walnut color"; "people knew how to stain glass a beautiful blue in the middle ages"

   Synonyms:
   defile, sully, maculate, tarnish

7. stainverb

   produce or leave stains

   "Red wine stains the table cloth"

   Synonyms:
   defile, sully, maculate, tarnish

8. tarnish, stain, maculate, sully, defileverb

   make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically

   "The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air"; "Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man"

   Synonyms:
   calumniate, maculate, asperse, tarnish, smear, denigrate, slander, defile, corrupt, sully, besmirch, smirch, defame, foul, taint, cloud, befoul

9. stainverb

   color for microscopic study

   "The laboratory worker dyed the specimen"

   Synonyms:
   defile, sully, maculate, tarnish

Matched Categories

1. • Appearance
   • Change
   • Coloring Material
   • Dirtiness
   • Dye
   • Microscopy
   • Symbol

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. stainverb

   Synonyms:
   soil, sully, contaminate, tarnish, spot, blot, blemish, discolor

2. stainverb

   Synonyms:
   dye, tinge, color

3. stainverb

   Synonyms:
   disgrace, pollute, corrupt, defile, dishonor, debase, deprave, contaminate, taint

4. stainnoun

   Synonyms:
   blemish, tarnish, spot, blot, imperfection

5. stainnoun

   Synonyms:
   disgrace, dishonor, contamination, taint

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. stainnoun

   Synonyms:
   blot, taint, discoloration, tarnish

2. stainverb

   Synonyms:
   soil, sully, defile, taint

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "stain":

   blot, tache, spot, blemish, dye, staining, smudge, colouring, blob, colourant, hue, tincture, stains, coloration, patch, colouration, tint, taint, slick

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How to use stain in a sentence?

1. Danyal Balagopal Abdullah:

   Some of it is really petty, even the cigarette stain was a problem, i agree that our athletes should not have done it as they had been briefed and warned of the consequences. Despite the hefty fine, I don't think indiscipline in Incheon is a big issue.

2. Erika Guevara-Rosas:

   Mexico is living one of its worst human rights crises in decades, the catalog of failures in the search and investigation into the disappearance of the 43 students that the group of experts have denounced is an enormous stain on the reputation of the Mexican government, which can only begin to recover if those responsible are found.

3. Henry Ward Beecher:

   It is one of the severest tests of friendship to tell your friend his faults. So to love a man that you cannot bear to see a stain upon him, and to speak painful truth through loving words, that is friendship.

4. Beckett:

   Every word is like an unnecessary stain on silence and nothingness.

5. Chad Griffin:

   The vote by the executive committee to recommend that gay, lesbian and bisexual adults be allowed to work and volunteer for the Boy Scouts is a welcome step toward erasing a stain on one of our nation's most storied organizations, but writing in an exemption for troops organized by religious organizations undermines the potentially historic nature of today's vote.