as in blackened
not clean
always seen wearing stained clothes, which he apparently hoped would mark him as an antibourgeois bohemian
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in tainted
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
her poor choice of companions stained her reputation somewhat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in painted
to give color or a different color to
stained the table to look like cherry
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dirtied
to make dirty
oil stained his work pants
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stained
Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026
Gently massage only the stained area.
—Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 15 Feb. 2026
The guest-only Chapel Club has a more plush, salon-like feel and there’s more than a hint of naughtiness with stained glass windows casting color onto the sensual artworks.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
How To Remove Types Of Mattress Stains Step-By-Step Vacuum the mattress and stained area.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 20 Jan. 2026
Tube benders also use stained glass, phosphorus and mercury to create other colors.
—Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 11 Jan. 2026
The stained clothes should be washed as soon as possible to help prevent discoloration or fading from the salty chemicals.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 8 Jan. 2026
Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Feb. 2026
Moldy plastic food containers can be reused after proper cleaning unless they are cracked, pitted, or heavily stained by mold.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 19 Feb. 2026
Gooday explained that red hone is blue hone that has been stained by iron materials.
—Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Fifty white flags were stained with reddish earth retrieved from each American state, with the intention of highlighting what unifies the fractious nation, not what divides it.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Over time, plastic containers can become scratched, stained, or damaged, and that starts to pose a food safety risk, explains Dragomir Markovic, food scientist and founder of Wise Intake.
—Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 2026
The shrine is Canton is demeaned and the Class of ‘26 stained.
—Greg Cote
february 1, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2026
The liquid stained Omar's clothes and may have reached her eye.
—Aki Nace, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
In testing on human teeth that were artificially stained with tea and coffee, the researchers found that a total of four hours of brushing showed visible whitening, while 12 total hours of brushing led to teeth that were nearly 50% whiter than those in a control group.
—New Atlas, 27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Elsewhere in the photoshoot, Pattinson poses with a cigarette in his mouth, pants unbuttoned and in a stained shirt in a black-and-white photo.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 17 Feb. 2026
Gently massage only the stained area.
—Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 15 Feb. 2026
The guest-only Chapel Club has a more plush, salon-like feel and there’s more than a hint of naughtiness with stained glass windows casting color onto the sensual artworks.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Jan. 2026
How To Remove Types Of Mattress Stains Step-By-Step Vacuum the mattress and stained area.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 20 Jan. 2026
Tube benders also use stained glass, phosphorus and mercury to create other colors.
—Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 11 Jan. 2026
The stained clothes should be washed as soon as possible to help prevent discoloration or fading from the salty chemicals.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
However, stuffing stinky or stained items away for months is a surefire way to permanently damage them.
—Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Feb. 2026
Moldy plastic food containers can be reused after proper cleaning unless they are cracked, pitted, or heavily stained by mold.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 19 Feb. 2026
Gooday explained that red hone is blue hone that has been stained by iron materials.
—Asuka Koda, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Fifty white flags were stained with reddish earth retrieved from each American state, with the intention of highlighting what unifies the fractious nation, not what divides it.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Over time, plastic containers can become scratched, stained, or damaged, and that starts to pose a food safety risk, explains Dragomir Markovic, food scientist and founder of Wise Intake.
—Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 2026
The shrine is Canton is demeaned and the Class of ‘26 stained.
—Greg Cote
february 1, Miami Herald, 1 Feb. 2026
The liquid stained Omar's clothes and may have reached her eye.
—Aki Nace, CBS News, 29 Jan. 2026
In testing on human teeth that were artificially stained with tea and coffee, the researchers found that a total of four hours of brushing showed visible whitening, while 12 total hours of brushing led to teeth that were nearly 50% whiter than those in a control group.
—New Atlas, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stained
Adjective
-
The land, unfenced, abuts a bald blackened hillside that must be public land.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Aug. 2025
-
In its time open, fueled by fans of its blackened mahi and buttery lobster rolls, owner Mike Smith has expanded his footprint, moving into a larger stall in the popular food hall — which has allowed for a menu expansion, as well.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Dec. 2022
Verb
-
That means every angle needs to be screen-ready and not tainted by equipment, crew or the director.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The entire imbroglio proved hugely damaging, not only to Boohoo but also the Leicester garment industry, which was already struggling to cope with the manufacturing shift overseas before the fear of being tainted by scandal led its remaining buyers to flee en masse.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Unlike the portraits in Newman’s book, which were painted to glorify their sitters, many of the images in the Epstein files have a queasy, destabilizing aspect.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Months into 2025, only 400 of the city’s affected 16,000 intersections had had the curbs painted red.—
Inga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When stormwater dirtied by road runoff, failing septic tanks and fertilizer sullied crystal-clear rivers and lakes, and nobody cared.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Garments can be dirtied again by the elements if air-dried outside.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
So open to the skies, and filthy.—
Lesley Stahl,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
-
This neighborhood, peopled almost entirely by the people who claim to have been driven from Poland and Russia, is the eyesore of New York and perhaps the filthiest place on the western continent.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But more recently, Clark’s tenure has been marred by dissent and distractions.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The abrupt withdrawal of Microsoft's co-founder dealt a fresh blow to a flagship event already marred by organisational lapses, a robot row and complaints of traffic chaos.—
Aditya Soni,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There were juicy skinless sausages that burst with flavor every bite, a goat soup burning with hot pepper and vinegar, rice dishes in so many forms — long grain and short, teeming with plump raisins or pigeon peas, tinted with spices or citrus.—
Lyndsay C. Green,
Freep.com,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Most gold and platinum records are actually vinyl records that have been plated with metal and tinted.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Pillows become stained and soiled from our body oils, dead skin cells that attract dust mites, and hair products.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Washing sheets in hot water every time isn’t necessary for linens that are lightly soiled—think no sweaty nights or sickness.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stained. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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