stainless
Americanadjective
-
having no stain; spotless.
-
made of stainless steel.
-
resistant to staining, rusting, the corrosive effect of chemicals, etc.
noun
-
flatware made of stainless steel.
adjective
-
resistant to discoloration, esp discoloration resulting from corrosion; rust-resistant
stainless steel
-
having no blemish
a stainless reputation
noun
Other Word Forms
- stainlessly adverb
- stainlessness noun
Etymology
Origin of stainless
Explanation
If an object is stainless, it is clean or resistant to discoloration. When a person is described with the adjective stainless, it means that they are exemplary, or extremely good. If you have any silver-colored appliances in your kitchen, they're probably stainless steel, specially formulated so they won't discolor or corrode. Most everyday spoons and forks are stainless steel as well. If someone refers to your sister's stainless reputation, on the other hand, he is implying that everyone thinks of her as well-behaved, almost saintly. This kind of stainless has been used since the 16th century; stainless steel wasn't invented until 1917.
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.
Boomers upgraded to stainless and quartz, put in a pool, added a couple of bedrooms—and made that house harder to afford.
From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026
They deposited an extremely thin layer of thorium onto stainless steel using electroplating, a technique commonly used in jewelry.
From Science Daily • Jan. 8, 2026
Therrien’s beards — fashioned from synthetic hair, plaster, stainless steel or aluminum — hang on wardrobe stands from hooks that would go over the wearer’s ears as part of a costume.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 25, 2025
Carbon steel gives a sharper edge than stainless steel, and it’s easier to sharpen, but the blade rusts easily.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025
She’s beside me now, tilting the stainless steel containers of half-and-half, low fat, and soy.
From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
