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
Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Mar. 2026
The stained glass of the smoking room had had a red hue based on the Olympic, but was changed to yellow based on the Titanic artifacts.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2026
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
Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2026
Set in a landscape stained by red clay and bad blood, villainy is commonplace.
—Peter White, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026
Under the late afternoon clouds, the water appears murky, too dark to hold a reflection of the soot- and algae-stained warehouses on the pier.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Their hands are stained with the blood of thousands of Americans.
—Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 28 Feb. 2026
Even the best bath towels eventually become too worn out and stained to be regularly used.
—Rabekah Henderson, The Spruce, 27 Feb. 2026
The title comes from an awkward moment when their leader’s jeans were stained with menstrual blood.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
Lucid Group will slash hundreds of Bay Area jobs, a downsizing ushered in by billions of dollars in red ink that has stained the electric vehicle maker’s balance sheet.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
Avoid any containers of berries that appear to be damp or stained, or that visibly contain fruit that’s overripe, dented, bruised, or mushy.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Place a dab of olive oil on a soft cloth and gently rub the stained area.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 4 Mar. 2026
The stained glass of the smoking room had had a red hue based on the Olympic, but was changed to yellow based on the Titanic artifacts.
—Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2026
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
Verb
Worn Clothing Do not fill your dresser drawers with garments that have seen better days to the point that they're torn or stained.
—Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2026
Set in a landscape stained by red clay and bad blood, villainy is commonplace.
—Peter White, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026
Under the late afternoon clouds, the water appears murky, too dark to hold a reflection of the soot- and algae-stained warehouses on the pier.
—Danielle Parker, CBS News, 3 Mar. 2026
Their hands are stained with the blood of thousands of Americans.
—Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 28 Feb. 2026
Even the best bath towels eventually become too worn out and stained to be regularly used.
—Rabekah Henderson, The Spruce, 27 Feb. 2026
The title comes from an awkward moment when their leader’s jeans were stained with menstrual blood.
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
Lucid Group will slash hundreds of Bay Area jobs, a downsizing ushered in by billions of dollars in red ink that has stained the electric vehicle maker’s balance sheet.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
Avoid any containers of berries that appear to be damp or stained, or that visibly contain fruit that’s overripe, dented, bruised, or mushy.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Feb. 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
-
Once a sky-blue democracy is restored, may Trump’s days of infamy be ruled illegitimate and his name and legacy duly tainted by all of history, darkly blackened or cautiously reddened in the honest records that this twerp and his twisted cohorts have conspired so heinously to whitewash.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Is there something tainted or cursed about this place?—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Our local senior center was painted recently, and the wall adjacent to the walkway is being attacked by the crows.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Build a Compact Potting Bench The potting bench—which McMahon built using affordable cedar lumber and painted to blend in with the fence—helps corral messier potting work to one section of the garden.—
Mike Irvine,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Mar. 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
-
Her jeans are filthy; her blonde hair hangs in loose, greasy strings; bruises speckle her thin arms, and there’s a patch of blood above her right eye.—
Outside,
Outside,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Allegations of betting on suicide Like other detainees, Ramsingh said that between cleanings, the rooms, restrooms and showers were often filthy and infested with insects.—
Morgan Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The issue, which can arise within minutes, is that no matter how careful, how neurotic, how cautious someone is, inevitably the shiny piano black plastic trim gets scratched, knicked, and or marred rapidly as a car is used.—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The Democratic contest was marred by voting issues affecting the state’s second-largest county, which caused confusion around ballot eligibility.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Cabot's stain products can be tinted into Acorn at retailers nationwide.—
Kylie Petty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The moon is tinted a coppery red.—
Isa Almeida,
Oklahoman,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
If the cabinets are heavily soiled or sticky from a greasy film, add 1/2 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Both of his arms are in the sleeves, and his bourgeois father is kneeling on the floor, taking the shirt in order to conserve it, perhaps saving it from being soiled.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stained. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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