distain C2+ Topic:Register & Style US /dɪˈsteɪn/ UK /dɪˈsteɪn/ See IPA manual Freq #191643 Meanings 1 verb archaic or literary: to stain, discolor, or tarnish something Years of soot had distained the once-bright stone around the doorway. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · archaic or literary: to... staindiscolortarnish More soil ↔ Opposites cleanbrightenrestore Word family Forms distained Related forms staindiscoloration Etymology From Old French desteindre, 'to remove color or discolor,' ultimately combining a reversing or intensive prefix with the ancestor of English tinge. The word is now rare and chiefly literary. Topics Register & Style External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # distain **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /dɪˈsteɪn/ **IPA (UK):** /dɪˈsteɪn/ **Frequency rank:** 191643 ## Meanings 1. archaic or literary: to stain, discolor, or tarnish something ## Examples - Years of soot had distained the once-bright stone around the doorway. ## Synonyms - stain - discolor - tarnish - soil ## Antonyms - clean - brighten - restore ## Related Forms - stain - discoloration ## Etymology From Old French desteindre, 'to remove color or discolor,' ultimately combining a reversing or intensive prefix with the ancestor of English tinge. The word is now rare and chiefly literary. ## Topics - Register & Style markdown