polish

1 of 4

verb

pol·​ish ˈpä-lish How to pronounce polish (audio)
polished; polishing; polishes

transitive verb

1
: to make smooth and glossy usually by friction : burnish
2
: to smooth, soften, or refine in manners or condition
3
: to bring to a highly developed, finished, or refined state : perfect

intransitive verb

: to become smooth or glossy by or as if by friction
polisher noun

polish

2 of 4

noun (1)

1
a
: a smooth glossy surface : luster
b
: freedom from rudeness or coarseness : culture
c
: a state of high development or refinement
2
: the action or process of polishing
3
: a preparation that is used to produce a gloss and often a color for the protection and decoration of a surface
furniture polish
nail polish

Polish

3 of 4

adjective

Pol·​ish ˈpō-lish How to pronounce Polish (audio)
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Poland, the Poles, or Polish

Polish

4 of 4

noun (2)

: the Slavic language of the Poles

Examples of polish in a Sentence

Verb He spent the summer polishing his math skills. you'll need to polish your shoes with a clean rag before the performance Noun (1) I need more shoe polish. Did you use a wax polish on the table or an oil-based one? The movie has the polish we've come to expect from that director. He's rude and lacks polish.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Due to Star Wars Outlaws’ reception, particularly about its glitches, developer Ubisoft took the extra time to polish Assassin’s Creed Shadows. George Yang, Rolling Stone, 18 Mar. 2025 The 80-room property was purchased in 2009 by the R Collection, a group of 12 luxurious hotels owned by the Rocchi family, and has since been polished to five-star standards. Gina Decaprio Vercesi, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2025
Noun
Dark chocolate, rich prune, and vanilla ice cream flavors intermingle with crunchy red berries and layers of furniture polish, leather, and walnut wood. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025 Experiment with a few different shades to get that faux French manicure look, top with another layer of the milky polish—and your nails are officially red carpet ready. Kleigh Balugo, StyleCaster, 18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Former official faces charges in Poland WARSAW, Poland -- Polish prosecutors filed charges Friday against a former defense minister who declassified parts of a plan for national defense that had been prepared years before under an earlier government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. arkansasonline.com, 22 Mar. 2025 In 1901, an intrepid German doctor called Eugene von Holländer was approached by a Polish aristocrat looking for smoother skin. Leah Dolan, CNN, 22 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for polish

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English polisshen, from Anglo-French poliss-, stem of polir, from Latin polire

Adjective

Pole

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Adjective

1592, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1555, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of polish was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Polish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polish. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

polish

1 of 4 verb
pol·​ish ˈpäl-ish How to pronounce polish (audio)
1
: to make smooth and glossy usually by rubbing
2
: to smooth or improve in manners, condition, or style
3
: to bring to a highly developed or finished state
polish a technique
polisher noun

polish

2 of 4 noun
1
a
: a smooth glossy surface : luster
b
: good manners : refinement
2
: the action or process of polishing
3
: a substance prepared for use in polishing
shoe polish
nail polish

Polish

3 of 4 adjective
Pol·​ish ˈpō-lish How to pronounce Polish (audio)
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Poland, the Poles, or Polish

Polish

4 of 4 noun
: the Slavic language of the Poles

More from Merriam-Webster on polish

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