Synonyms for bleach

9 synonyms
1 antonym
1 meaning

verb
noun

Most common

decolor US whiten etiolate

Synonyms by meaning

Verb

1. Decolorize

decolorize US, decolourise UK, decolourize UK, decolor US, decolour UK

Other

fade, blanch, whiten, etiolate, whitewash dated

Noun

bleaching agent, whitener

Antonyms

stain

All antonyms of bleach →

Definitions

v. 1
To treat with bleach, especially so as to whiten (fabric, paper, etc.) or lighten (hair).
n. 1
A chemical, such as sodium hypochlorite or hydrogen peroxide, or a preparation of such a chemical, used for disinfecting or whitening.

Related words

Word family: bleachlike bleachy bleacher
Phrases: bleach bypass brain bleach eye bleach mind bleach skip bleach

Forms

Plural: bleaches → whiteners…
Past participle: bleached
e.g. bleached → decolorized, decolored, faded, blanched…

Choose the right word

Bleach, Blanch or Whiten?

Bleach and blanch both signify to whiten by depriving of color, the former permanently, as linen; the latter either permanently (as, to blanch celery) or temporarily (as, to blanch the cheek with fear).

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

whiten Don't try to whiten them with chemicals, because you risk damaging them.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
bleach		rising
decolor		falling
whiten		rising
etiolate		steady

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters: fade¹
6 letters: blanch¹, whiten²
7 letters: decolor
8 letters: whitener², decolour, etiolate
9 letters: whitewash²
10 letters: decolorize
11 letters: decolourise, decolourize

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (whiten² = 2 syllables).