stain
noun
a discoloration produced by foreign matter having penetrated into or chemically reacted with a material; a spot not easily removed.
stained
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past participleof stain.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof stain.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
stainnouna discoloration produced by foreign matter having penetrated into or chemically reacted with a material; a spot not easily removed.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There are multiple excursions for barbecue, each resulting in stained clothes for Rebecca.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
According to legend, Mallory climbed the church tower at the age of seven and there are numerous stained glass windows in memory of members of his family.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
PARIS—Billionaire tech investor Masayoshi Son was in despair three years ago—his reputation stained by bad startup bets and his company’s stock price cut in half.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
From the floor to ceiling, more than 20,000 books were crammed every which way into shelves they’d built and stained themselves nearly 20 years before.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
Gone were the sneakers and ski sweaters, the mussed hair, the plaid cowboy shirt, and the slightly stained corduroy trousers.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
