tarnish

1 of 2

verb

tar·​nish ˈtär-nish 

tarnished; tarnishing; tarnishes

transitive verb

1

: to dull or destroy the luster of by or as if by air, dust, or dirt : soil, stain

2

a

: to detract from the good quality of : vitiate

his fine dreams now slightly tarnished

b

: to bring disgrace on : sully

the scandal has tarnished his reputation

intransitive verb

: to become tarnished

tarnishable

ˈtär-ni-shə-bəl 

adjective

tarnish

2 of 2

noun

: something that tarnishes

especially : a film of chemically altered material on the surface of a metal (such as silver)

Synonyms

Verb

• blemish
• darken
• mar
• poison
• spoil
• stain
• taint
• touch
• vitiate

Examples of tarnish in a Sentence

Verb

Some foods will tarnish silver.

The scandal tarnished his reputation.

Noun

a polish that removes tarnish

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

For conservatives, the state’s glamorous image tarnished in the 1960s and 1970s. —Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024

And while museums around the world, including the AMNH, have begun taking steps to repatriate items taken from Indigenous peoples, many of the cultural items and even some specimens in collections today are tarnished by a legacy of theft. —Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English ternysshen, from Middle French terniss-, stem of ternir, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German tarnan to hide

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1684, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tarnish

• anti-tarnish

Kids Definition

tarnish

1 of 2 verb

tar·​nish ˈtär-nish 

1

: to make or become dull, dim, or discolored

silver tarnishes

2

: to bring disgrace or cast doubt on

tarnished the family's good name

tarnish

2 of 2 noun

: something that tarnishes

especially : a film of chemically changed material on the surface of a metal (as silver)