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, stain, 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, stain, 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, stain, 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, stain, 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, stain, 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. Craig Lawrence:

   The amount of risk being put on the public market is higher than it should be, and I worry if some of those fail catastrophically, and retail investors get hurt, it will stain the whole category.

2. John Bolton:

   Trump's disgraceful firing of Ellen Knight is another stain on his presidency, those in the NSC and White House Counsel's office who tried to intimidate Ms. Ellen Knight, and then carried out Trump's personal vendetta, should be held to account.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. Eric Bland:

   They were never told of the settlements. They were never told of the court hearings, they were never told of the dispersements. They want to know what happened to the money. They have to answer for what they did. It is a tremendous stain on the justice system in our state. I’m confident that at the end of this, truth will always come out.