indelible stain
1
6.3
- noun
- /ɪnˈdɛlɪbəl steɪn/
:
mancha indeleble
- The red wine left an indelible stain on the white tablecloth that could never be removed.
- left an indelible stain
Examples
-
Years of neglect had left an indelible stain on the once-beautiful garden.
-
Or when they remember what they once did, and what then was to follow them to the grave like an indelible stain.
Fiction book (1991) -
Human rights oppression is a spreading, indelible stain.
Blog text (24) -
Iran-Contra became an obsession of the news media and disturbed much of the country, forming an indelible stain on the Administration's record.
Academic text (2014) -
The scandal regarding the corruption left an indelible stain on the politician's reputation.
Synonyms
224
1.4
A mark that makes something a different color and is hard to remove
15
3.9
A small mark that spoils the look of skin or an object
8
2.7
A small mark often made by ink or dirt
3
6.8
A strong lasting memory or effect you cannot forget
1
9.9
A small spot or stain on a surface
A dirty mark that spoils the look of clothing or fabric
How Permanent
1
6.3
224
1.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
Both constituents transparently contribute to the meaning: 'indelible' = unable to be removed and 'stain' = a mark, so the noun phrase denotes a mark that cannot be removed. This adjective + noun composition follows standard compositional semantics and is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the words will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Indelible stain evokes the image of a spill of ink or dye that soaks into cloth or stone and leaves a stain that is indelible, that is, 'cannot be removed'. So, it means a mark that stays and cannot be erased.