distain

verb

dis-ˈtān How to pronounce distain (audio)
Definition of distainnext
archaic
as in to stain
to make dirty weary soldiers with hands distained with blood

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for distain
  1. stain
  2. dirty
  3. blacken
  4. soil
  5. muck
Verb
  • Bookshelves are crammed with novels and almanacs, the wood boards of the ceilings stained dark in delicious contrast to the clean white walls and creamy linen furnishings.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The yellow color from the fenbendazole stained his white goatee.
    — Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of stain
Verb
  • To even wade into the arguments might dirty your hands, and mind.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Satisfy your lasagna craving without dirtying up a pile of dishes.
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 9 July 2026
Definition of dirty
Verb
  • Footage shot later at daybreak showed the house gutted, charred and blackened from the inside out.
    — Zeena Saifi, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Lines at Russian gas stations, crippled refineries, and images of burning oil depots blackening the sky lent credence to the narrative, as did blackouts and fuel shortages in Crimea.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of blacken
Verb
  • Heavily soiled laundry like muddy workwear can also benefit from warmer water.
    — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Three boxes of fries were found on the floor in the walk-in cooler, soiled with a mixture of water and raw chicken juice.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of soil
Verb
  • He's been mucking about with them for going on 60 years, and decided to enter the contest for the first time in 2025.
    — Lucia Cheng, Des Moines Register, 13 Aug. 2026
  • But a second straight dud season would really muck things up.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of muck
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.

Browse Nearby Words

distaff
distain
distained
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Cite this Entry

“Distain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distain. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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