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

How to pronounce stain?

How to say stain in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use stain in a sentence?

1. Jason Verstak:

   Thanks to technological innovations, synthetic carpets are becoming softer and more luxurious all the time, generally speaking, they are more cost-efficient, hard-wearing and stain-resistant than pure wool carpets.

2. 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.

3. Professor Karsten Koenig:

   We use femtosecond laser pulses. We scan the skin and we get signals from the skin, particularly fluorescence, as well as another signal called second harmonic generation. So with these two signals we can build up images and get a precise look into the skin with a high resolution. The resolution is a factor of one thousand (times) better than ultrasound. So now you get the information without taking biopsies; normally you slice them, you stain them, and then a pathologist would look through these sections. Now you can get this information in seconds, labor free and with this fantastic resolution.

4. Thirteen Olympic medalists:

   The fraud of dishonest people should not jeopardize the career of the other innocent fellow athletes and throw a stain on our country's reputation, the right of any athlete who has never violated any of the existing rules to perform at the Olympic Games is inviolable.

5. Meredith Abbott:

   A well-maintained cutting board should release smells fairly easily, some foods just stain, like beets, I would suggest washing immediately after prepping those highly-staining foods.