as in blackened
not clean
always seen wearing stained clothes, which he apparently hoped would mark him as an antibourgeois bohemian
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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
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
The dark wood has been stained and distressed for a rustic finish.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2026
Greg Bovino recently took to the streets of Minneapolis, pulling the pin from a grenade and lobbing it into a crowd of protesters as plumes of vibrant green smoke filled the air and stained snow in the residential neighborhood.
—Minneapolis Star Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
From such motives almost every page of history has been stained with civil blood.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
Opt for a material that’s white washed or stained for a farmhouse look.
—Rachel Fletcher, Architectural Digest, 15 Jan. 2026
Chicken thighs first absorb a garlicky, peppery spice marinade stained with turmeric to accentuate the golden crust.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Frank doesn’t mind having people killed for his agenda, but has avoided getting his hands stained with blood.
—Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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
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
The dark wood has been stained and distressed for a rustic finish.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2026
Greg Bovino recently took to the streets of Minneapolis, pulling the pin from a grenade and lobbing it into a crowd of protesters as plumes of vibrant green smoke filled the air and stained snow in the residential neighborhood.
—Minneapolis Star Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
From such motives almost every page of history has been stained with civil blood.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
Opt for a material that’s white washed or stained for a farmhouse look.
—Rachel Fletcher, Architectural Digest, 15 Jan. 2026
Chicken thighs first absorb a garlicky, peppery spice marinade stained with turmeric to accentuate the golden crust.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Frank doesn’t mind having people killed for his agenda, but has avoided getting his hands stained with blood.
—Demetrius Patterson, HollywoodReporter, 5 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
-
Lawyers also argued the conviction should be overturned because the verdict was tainted by the media attention and due to faulty instructions to the jury.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Just as one bite of a cookie might not happen to contain chocolate chips, one small sample of drugs might not include fentanyl even if the larger supply is tainted, the agency’s website explains.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Fans were spoiled with 12 tracks of retro-inspired, plushy pop — and as the rollout suggested, the tracks painted a greater picture of Carpenter’s arduous dating experience, brought to life with production and writing support from acclaimed collaborators Jack Antonoff, John Ryan and Amy Allen.—
Meghan Mahar,
Billboard,
26 Jan. 2026
-
On other issues, the Democratic contenders painted billionaires as a driving force behind economic inequality and political influence.—
Gromer Jeffers Jr,
Dallas Morning News,
26 Jan. 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
-
Sauron was bested by some filthy Hobbitses and their pal, Gollum.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Slightly less filthy than the ones on the balcony, those bricks could have used a coat of paint.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The annual loss for California marked the first yearly decline for the state since March 2021, according to the EDD, a period marred by severe job losses that arose from an array of business shutdowns and economic dislocations as a result of the pandemic.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Geothermal energy solutions have been around for a while, though, and have been marred by location specificity, high water usage, and high initial costs.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The brand War Paint sells makeup products like concealer pens, tinted moisturizers and anti-shine powders that feature QR codes on the packaging.—
Luke Fountain,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Plus, check out Jennifer Aniston’s go-to tinted serum and other shopper-favorite OneSkin products, below.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Pews were left heavily soiled in black.—
Jason Carroll,
CNN Money,
18 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stained. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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