stain
[verb]
Synonyms:
- mark, blemish, blot, dirty, discolour, smirch, soil, spot, tinge
[noun]
Synonyms:
- mark, blemish, blot, discoloration, smirch, spot
- stigma, disgrace, dishonour, shame, slur

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Related Idioms: blot on the escutcheon
Related Words: tinge, bedaub, daub, smear, besmirch, smirch, smudge, smutch, blemish, defect, flaw

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English Thesaurus: mark, spot, stain, smudge, smear, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. stain¹ /steɪn/ verb
[Date: 1400-1500; Origin: Partly from Old French desteindre 'to discolor', from teindre 'to give something a different color', from Latin tingere ( ⇒ tinge²); partly from Old Norse steina 'to paint']

1. [intransitive and transitive] to accidentally make a mark on something, especially one that cannot be removed, or to be marked in this way:
Be careful you don’t stain the carpet.
This tablecloth stains very easily.
Her fingers were stained yellow from years of smoking.
stain with
a cowboy hat stained with dust and sweat

2. [transitive] to change the colour of something, especially something made of wood, by using a special liquid ⇒ dye:
We’ve decided to stain the shelves blue.

3. stain sb’s name/honour/reputation etc literary to damage the good opinion that people have about someone

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. stain² noun

1. [countable] a mark that is difficult to remove, especially one made by a liquid such as blood, coffee, or ink
stain on
There was a dark red stain on the carpet.
remove/get rid of a stain
White vinegar is great for removing stains.
wine/coffee/blood etc stain
How do you get wine stains out of a tablecloth?
stubborn stains (=ones that are very difficult to remove)

2. [uncountable and countable] a special liquid that you use to change the colour of something, especially wood ⇒ dye

3. stain on sb’s character/name/reputation etc something that damages the good opinion that people have about someone

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

stain
noun
ADJ. stubborn | dark | coffee, grass, etc.
VERB + STAIN leave | get out, remove
STAIN + VERB spread The glass fell off the table and a dark stain spread over the carpet.
PREP. ~ on The coffee left a stain on his shirt.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

stain
verb
PREP. with The shirt was heavily stained with blood.
PHRASES be badly/heavily/slightly stained, stain sth green, red, etc. The children's fingers were stained purple with blackberry juice.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

stain

a wine/coffee/blood etc stain
How can I get coffee stains out of a cotton tablecloth?
a red/brown/dark etc stain
There was a brown stain on the bedroom ceiling.
a stubborn stain (=one that is hard to remove)
Lighter fuel can be used to remove more stubborn stains.
remove a stain (also shift a stain informal)
He was trying to remove a stain from his jacket.
Fruit juice stains can be hard to shift.
get a stain out (also get rid of a stain) (=remove it)
You’ll never get that stain out.
get a stain on something
She didn’t want to get a stain on her new dress.
something leaves a stain
She wiped the soup off her blouse, but it left a stain.
a stain spreads
A dark stain spread over the grey carpet.
stain remover (=a special liquid for removing stains)
stain removal
Here are a few quick tips for stain removal.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

mark a dirty area on something that spoils its appearance:
The bark of the tree had made black marks on her trousers.
spot a small mark on something:
a grease spot on my shirt
stain a mark that is difficult to remove, especially one made by a dark liquid:
a wine stain on the tablecloth
blood stains
smudge a mark that is made when something touches against a surface:
There was a smudge of lipstick on his cheek.
He had a smudge of chalk on his jacket.
smear a mark that is made by a small amount of something spread across a surface:
The table had a smear of paint on the top.
fingerprint (also fingermark British English) a mark on the surface of something that is made by someone’s fingers:
The glass was covered with greasy fingerprints.
blemish a mark on your skin that spoils its appearance:
John grew a beard to hide the blemishes on his chin.
mole a small dark, sometimes raised, mark on your skin:
Some moles may become cancerous.
Helena found a mole on her arm which had definitely not been there before.
freckles small light brown marks on your skin, especially on your face but also on your arms, shoulders etc:
She had a light sprinkling of freckles across her nose.
birthmark a permanent mark on your skin that you have had since you were born:
There was a small birthmark on her left cheek.
bruise a purple or brown mark on your skin that you get because you have fallen or been hit:
Her legs were covered in cuts and bruises.
scar a permanent mark on your skin, caused by a cut or by something that burns you:
The injury left a small scar on his forehead.
pimple/zit (also spot British English) a small raised red mark or lump on your skin, which usually appears when a child is between 12 and 18 years old:
When I was a teenager I had terrible spots.
The boy had a few pimples under his chin.
wart a small hard raised mark on your skin caused by a virus:
His face was covered in hairy warts.
blister a small area of skin that is swollen and full of liquid because it has been rubbed or burned:
There was a blister on his arm where the boiling milk had splashed him.
rash an area of small red spots on your skin, caused by an illness or an allergy:
I can’t eat strawberries - they give me a rash.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲