burnish

1 of 2

verb

bur·​nish ˈbər-nish How to pronounce burnish (audio)
burnished; burnishing; burnishes

transitive verb

1
a
: to make shiny or lustrous especially by rubbing
burnish leather
burnishing his sword
b
: polish sense 3
attempting to burnish her image
2
: to rub (a material) with a tool for compacting or smoothing or for turning an edge
pottery with a smooth burnished surface
burnisher noun
burnishing adjective or noun

burnish

2 of 2

noun

Examples of burnish in a Sentence

Verb burnished the floor of the ballroom to a soft luster Noun after some much-needed polishing, the silver tea set had a brilliant burnish
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
March 1, 2024 Schiff and Porter are both national Democratic luminaries, while Lee has deep progressive credentials burnished over a quarter-century in Congress. Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 It has been lifted up for posterity and burnished in a new way by Noel and his team. Simon Thompson, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 If Tesla follows through, such a move would amount to another win for a state that has used its ties with him to burnish its pro-business credentials. Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2024 Constructing and burnishing a familiar theme can help a Super Bowl ad stand out. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 5 Feb. 2024 Hutchinson even acted as a congressional prosecutor in President Clinton’s impeachment trial, burnishing his bona fides as a partisan combatant. Mark Z. Barabak, The Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2024 You’re already primed to it, trying to burnish your product/brand, trying to ‘take’ something. Solitaire Townsend, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024 Jurors will have to decide if Von D’s posts about the Davis tattoo, posted on the same social media accounts, were used to burnish her brand and further her economic interests. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 25 Jan. 2024 The axis of resistance has used the conflict to burnish its capabilities and wide reach. Ali Vaez, Foreign Affairs, 25 Jan. 2024
Noun
The storytelling has an unfussy classical burnish that feels nicely scaled to its time and place. Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2023 In William Faulkner’s Sanctuary, Temple Drake is taken to a brothel by a sinister bootlegger, but our version had no gothic burnish. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Aug. 2022 The dark burnish brings deep savory notes, but even a hint of burn will make the whole mole bitter. Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2020 The cream turns into a rich sauce and the cheese gets bubbly-brown; the greens towards the top burnish (kale chips!) but those underneath stay silky-soft. Sarah Jampel, Bon Appétit, 17 Dec. 2019 As each streetlamp passed, the burnish of its reflected light rolled up alongside them on the asphalt, like a dolphin curious about a new boat in her waters, and then veered away. Caleb Crain, Harper's magazine, 22 July 2019 Perhaps the open roasting caused the sugar to caramelize, adding a slightly bitter burnish that mitigated the awful sweetness. Mimi Sheraton, The Seattle Times, 25 Sep. 2018 The reds of radishes and tomatoes, the burnish of crisped bacon and bright greens of beans and hardy lettuces showed through milky dressings that coated each piece. Bonnie S. Benwick, charlotteobserver, 1 May 2018 A renovation, completed in late 2015, with updates this spring and summer to some of its signature restaurants, adds a new burnish to this destination, just as Mexico City itself is becoming a must-go spot, especially for the international jet set. Melena Ryzik, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'burnish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English burnischen, from Anglo-French burniss-, stem of burnir, alteration of Old French brunir, literally, to make brown, from brun

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun

1646, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near burnish

Cite this Entry

“Burnish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burnish. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

burnish

verb
bur·​nish
ˈbər-nish
: to make shiny especially by rubbing : polish
burnisher noun

More from Merriam-Webster on burnish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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