Synonyms of staining

staining 1 of 2

noun

as in discoloration

Related Words

• discoloration
• soilage
• dinginess
• dustiness
• grubbiness
• uncleanliness
• uncleanness
• dinge
• sordidness
• squalidness
• foulness
• dirtiness
• impurity
• filthiness
• griminess
• untidiness
• sloppiness
• messiness
• nastiness
• squalor
• smuttiness
• insanitation
• impureness
• muddiness
• mussiness
• sootiness

Dissimilar Words

• cleanliness
• purity
• spotlessness

staining

2 of 2

verb

present participle of stain

1

as in marring

to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable

her poor choice of companions stained her reputation somewhat

Synonyms & Similar Words

• marring
• darkening
• spoiling
• tainting
• poisoning
• touching
• tarnishing
• smearing
• blackening
• lowering
• soiling
• blemishing
• degrading
• discoloring
• discrediting
• distorting
• vitiating
• blurring
• smudging
• corrupting
• polluting
• dirtying
• clouding
• besmirching
• sullying
• disgracing
• shaming
• tarring
• coloring
• dishonoring
• sinking
• fouling
• debasing
• smutting
• besmearing
• subverting
• twisting
• perverting
• debauching
• abasing
• demeaning
• cheapening
• smirching
• demoralizing
• depraving
• begriming
• bastardizing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• cleansing
• purifying
• elevating
• magnifying
• uplifting
• glorifying
• ennobling
• enshrining
• dignifying
• hallowing

2

as in painting

to give color or a different color to

stained the table to look like cherry

Synonyms & Similar Words

• painting
• tinting
• coloring
• dyeing
• brightening
• pigmenting
• darkening
• tingeing
• tincturing
• striping
• lightening
• bepainting
• streaking
• flecking
• mottling
• speckling
• marbling
• dappling
• specking
• toning (down)
• variegating
• patterning
• daubing
• checkering
• striating
• embrowning
• polychroming

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• bleaching
• whitening
• decolorizing
• blanching

3

as in blackening

to make dirty

oil stained his work pants

Synonyms & Similar Words

• blackening
• dirtying
• soiling
• smudging
• messing
• mucking
• daubing
• besmirching
• sullying
• muddying
• griming
• distaining
• befouling
• fouling
• smirching
• contaminating
• miring
• discoloring
• begriming
• polluting
• gauming
• bemiring
• tainting
• defiling
• disarranging
• disordering
• disheveling
• draggling
• muddling
• crocking
• jumbling
• disarraying
• confusing
• collying

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• cleaning
• cleansing
• purging
• purifying
• wiping
• washing
• brushing
• decontaminating
• scrubbing
• disinfecting
• rinsing
• dusting
• sweeping
• mopping
• sanitizing
• scouring
• laundering
• brightening
• renewing
• freshening
• straightening (up)
• dry-cleaning
• deodorizing
• tidying (up)
• sprucing (up)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of staining

Noun

Bleach is genuinely good at killing mildew and lifting the biological staining that makes white grout look gray. — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2026

Dylan Gould, director of design at Cargo Workshop, says clients often have concerns about marble staining, etching, or not holding up well. — Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 6 Sep. 2026

To further prevent obvious staining, choose darker flooring that won't show mud and dirt as easily. — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 June 2026

Each of the 22 rays is represented in the primary somatosensory cortex by a distinct morphological module — a stripe of tissue identifiable under cytochrome oxidase staining, arranged in a pattern that mirrors the star’s geometry. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026

Ideally, they are planted in a large, open green space where the falling walnuts won’t cause damage, harm, or permanent staining. — Cori Sears, The Spruce, 14 May 2026

By harnessing a particle accelerator to generate extraordinarily bright, coherent X-rays, the team was able to capture high-resolution internal anatomy in seconds, without the lengthy staining or other preprocessing steps often required for soft-tissue contrast in standard lab scanners. — IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2026

Using chemical imaging techniques, researchers attempted to determine whether the staining was intentional or accidental. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 Feb. 2026

Critically, the ancient teeth from betel nut chewers are distinguishable because of red staining. — Elizabeth Rayne, ArsTechnica, 19 Aug. 2025

Verb

Hydrogen peroxide acts as a mild disinfectant that kills mold and bacteria and is very helpful for light staining. — Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 27 Sep. 2026

Use only white, clear or purple products on your hair to avoid staining. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Sep. 2026

Caie concurs, recommending paying careful attention to the cuticles before adding a base coat to fill nail ridges and prevent staining. — Violet Hayward, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2026

An ocular staining score of 5 or higher in at least one eye earns one point in the ACR/EULAR criteria. — Julie Scott, Verywell Health, 15 Sep. 2026

More rubbing produces mahogany, tan and brown hues, caused by staining from contact with vegetation. — Jim Zumbo, Outdoor Life, 10 Sep. 2026

Worse still, gunk and staining on shelves can be off-putting. — Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2026

Foods like tomato sauce and chocolate can cause staining if they aren’t wiped up right away. — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2026

Her hobbies include quilting, gardening and refurbishing furniture with Bill, with Hiers often adding the finishing touches by staining and painting their projects. — Doris Alvarez Cea, Florida Times-Union, 17 Aug. 2026