stain 1 of 2

verb

ˈstān How to pronounce stain (audio)
Definition of stainnext
1
as in to taint
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable her poor choice of companions stained her reputation somewhat

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to paint
to give color or a different color to stained the table to look like cherry

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to dirty
to make dirty oil stained his work pants

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stain

2 of 2

noun

1
as in blot
a mark of guilt or disgrace the stain of this cowardly act would haunt him for the rest of his career

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pigment
a substance used to color other materials applied several coats of stain to the wood

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stain
Verb
That standing was stained by the loans to CoreCivic and GEO, Fleming said. — Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 Well-loved and used items that are broken, damaged beyond repair, unsafe, or heavily stained or soiled should be thrown out. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 29 Aug. 2026
Noun
Once the shine wears off, you’re left with a pretty and subtle stain that lasts through many drinks. — Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 31 Aug. 2026 Scouring Pads Cleaning spills as soon as possible after cooking can keep them from hardening into a stain that feels impossible to remove. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stain
  1. taint
  2. paint
  3. dirty
  4. blot
  5. pigment
  6. mar
  7. color
  8. blacken
Verb
  • But Reese and her Dream teammates tainted the historic night during the final 20 seconds.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In July, the US was hit with a wave of explosive diarrhea caused by an outbreak of cyclospora, a parasite that spreads through food and water tainted with human feces.
    — Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of taint
Verb
  • Ahead of the center’s ribbon-cutting, CEO and President Kara Waddell painted a picture of a student-parent showing up for their first day of school while carrying their school supplies and their child.
    — Lina Ruiz September 4, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman took turns Thursday evening selling their environmental records — and painting starkly different pictures of the city’s performance under Bass’ leadership.
    — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of paint
Verb
  • Satisfy your lasagna craving without dirtying up a pile of dishes.
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 9 July 2026
  • The zipper shoe compartment keeps your shoes from dirtying up your clothing, and the massive interior can hold many outfits for your weekend getaway.
    — Olivia Dubyak, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
Definition of dirty
Noun
  • If especially juicy, lightly blot with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Once the stain is gone, blot again with a clean damp cloth to remove any soap residue and allow the upholstery to air-dry completely.
    — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of blot
Noun
  • Saturated in velvety blues, reds, and blacks, Zumthor’s surfaces all but vibrate; the subtle variations in the application of the paint and the alchemy of the pigment on the concrete substrate bring the walls maximally to life.
    — Katy Barkan, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Simply use a cleansing balm or micellar water makeup remover that dissolves the pigments and film-forming agents that make the eyeshadow waterproof and long-lasting.
    — Laura Sandroni, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of pigment
Verb
  • The election outcome has been marred by reports of the arrest of Mundubile and his running mate, Makebu Zulu.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
  • However, the approach is marred by low throughput, and the process is also quite complex to execute.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of mar
Verb
  • Nor is Gadot a performer inclined to lend much more than athleticism to a role that could use some warmth and idiosyncrasy to color its rather generic action-hero gist.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Johns also colored her hair shortly before her secret September 1996 wedding to Kennedy.
    — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of color
Verb
  • Corbin uses cabbage as an anchor in his new and expanding Rolodex of flavors, thrusting it into the fire until the outer layers are blackened and frizzled.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Timber Fire Monterey County’s Timber Fire burning near Big Sur has blackened nearly 2,500 acres since its start Monday afternoon and is 5% contained.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of blacken

Browse Nearby Words

staidness
stain
stained
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Cite this Entry

“Stain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stain. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on stain

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about stain

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