polished; polishing; polishes
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
: to become smooth or glossy by or as if by friction
polisher
noun
1
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
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Poland, the Poles, or Polish
: the Slavic language of the Poles
Synonyms
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
Maya Polton, Parents, 27 Mar. 2024
Start by cleansing with Foreo's Luna Mini 2, which gently polishes the skin with silicone bristles and sonic vibrations.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 26 Mar. 2024
On Fixer Upper, Joanna and Chip have specialized in buffing, polishing, and augmenting what’s already there, which turned out to be a particularly valuable skill set for a landmarked building.
—Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2024
Schiff answered with metronomic precision, his delivery polished to a high gloss by years of addressing jurors and holding forth in Congress.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024
Engage your kitty in play while polishing their teeth with the Catstages Straw-Babies dental toy.
—Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024
Bust out the blue sequins, polish up your roller skates, and start sending those congratulatory gifts to Taylor Swift.
—Rob Ledonne, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2024
No expense was spared, so the house looks like a European castle with the stone exterior made up of stones pulled out of the property, and every sink in the house is a single boulder from the estate that has been cut and polished.
—Cathrine Todd, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024
Over 14 tracks, Tyla polishes her popiano sound, finding the sweet spot between African and American music with R&B melodies, amapiano production and exquisite pop writing.
—Heran Mamo, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2024
Courtney Howard, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
But most of the characters have already seen their dreams burn down: Faye Greener, a beautiful but talentless actor; her father, an old vaudevillian reduced to peddling silver polish; and a host of other eccentrics and grotesques.
—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
The diamond, classified as Type IIa, features VS1 clarity alongside strong saturation, a very vivid hue, and flawless polish and symmetry.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024
Nail Enamel Essie Salon-Quality Nail Polish Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Pro Nail Color
How to Keep Red Polish Looking Fresh
Both Edwards and Falcone say that red polish can be one of the more challenging shades to maintain and may require some extra reinforcement.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2024
In that context, Weezer stood out immediately as a clean-cut quartet of geeks whose whimsical power pop retained some of the new wave polish of producer Ric Ocasek’s band the Cars.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 11 Mar. 2024
Even our favorite neutrals and more subtle polishes are getting an eye-catching twist.
—Annie Blay, Allure, 20 Feb. 2024
The chafing dishes were full, and sparkled with Sterno and silver polish.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
By wearing them short and combining them with a natural polish.
—Melanie Paukner, Glamour, 11 Mar. 2024
Journal Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2024
Missiles heading for Ukraine have strayed into Polish airspace.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
Another Polish activist who helps provide abortions is activist Kinga Jelińska with the group Women Help Women.
—Vanessa Gera, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2024
Hadda who was born in Frankfurt from Jewish Polish parents, Holocaust survivors, said for many years he had been obsessed with the idea to draw the portrait of a family.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
The group of World Central Kitchen workers killed in the attack included three British citizens, a Polish citizen, an Australian and a Canadian-American dual citizen, according to the Associated Press.
—Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Apr. 2024
The bloodstained British, Polish and Australian passports of the World Central Kitchen aid workers killed on Monday.
—Gabe Joselow, NBC News, 6 Apr. 2024
There have been at least a dozen complete recordings, the latest by the eloquent Polish pianist Maciej Ganski, released March 25.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Damian Sobol Polish authorities confirmed that one of its nationals, Damian Sobol, from the town of Przemysl in southeast Poland, was among those killed.
—Robert Picheta, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
Verb
The rainbow baby necklace arrives in a stunning gift box, which includes a blank greeting card, polishing cloth, and jewelry care guide.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 27 Mar. 2024
Start by cleansing with Foreo's Luna Mini 2, which gently polishes the skin with silicone bristles and sonic vibrations.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 26 Mar. 2024
On Fixer Upper, Joanna and Chip have specialized in buffing, polishing, and augmenting what’s already there, which turned out to be a particularly valuable skill set for a landmarked building.
—Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2024
Schiff answered with metronomic precision, his delivery polished to a high gloss by years of addressing jurors and holding forth in Congress.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024
Engage your kitty in play while polishing their teeth with the Catstages Straw-Babies dental toy.
—Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024
Bust out the blue sequins, polish up your roller skates, and start sending those congratulatory gifts to Taylor Swift.
—Rob Ledonne, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2024
No expense was spared, so the house looks like a European castle with the stone exterior made up of stones pulled out of the property, and every sink in the house is a single boulder from the estate that has been cut and polished.
—Cathrine Todd, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024
Over 14 tracks, Tyla polishes her popiano sound, finding the sweet spot between African and American music with R&B melodies, amapiano production and exquisite pop writing.
—Heran Mamo, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2024
Noun
Production design on the Crandell house — filmed at the same Santa Clarita home as the original — reflects the family’s evolving state of togetherness, going from disrepair to gussied-up polish.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
But most of the characters have already seen their dreams burn down: Faye Greener, a beautiful but talentless actor; her father, an old vaudevillian reduced to peddling silver polish; and a host of other eccentrics and grotesques.
—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
The diamond, classified as Type IIa, features VS1 clarity alongside strong saturation, a very vivid hue, and flawless polish and symmetry.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024
Nail Enamel Essie Salon-Quality Nail Polish Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Pro Nail Color
How to Keep Red Polish Looking Fresh
Both Edwards and Falcone say that red polish can be one of the more challenging shades to maintain and may require some extra reinforcement.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 20 Mar. 2024
In that context, Weezer stood out immediately as a clean-cut quartet of geeks whose whimsical power pop retained some of the new wave polish of producer Ric Ocasek’s band the Cars.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 11 Mar. 2024
Even our favorite neutrals and more subtle polishes are getting an eye-catching twist.
—Annie Blay, Allure, 20 Feb. 2024
The chafing dishes were full, and sparkled with Sterno and silver polish.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2024
By wearing them short and combining them with a natural polish.
—Melanie Paukner, Glamour, 11 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The house was a Polish flat, which have narrow, steep and winding stairwells.
—Journal Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2024
Missiles heading for Ukraine have strayed into Polish airspace.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
Another Polish activist who helps provide abortions is activist Kinga Jelińska with the group Women Help Women.
—Vanessa Gera, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Apr. 2024
Hadda who was born in Frankfurt from Jewish Polish parents, Holocaust survivors, said for many years he had been obsessed with the idea to draw the portrait of a family.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024
The group of World Central Kitchen workers killed in the attack included three British citizens, a Polish citizen, an Australian and a Canadian-American dual citizen, according to the Associated Press.
—Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Apr. 2024
The bloodstained British, Polish and Australian passports of the World Central Kitchen aid workers killed on Monday.
—Gabe Joselow, NBC News, 6 Apr. 2024
There have been at least a dozen complete recordings, the latest by the eloquent Polish pianist Maciej Ganski, released March 25.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Damian Sobol Polish authorities confirmed that one of its nationals, Damian Sobol, from the town of Przemysl in southeast Poland, was among those killed.
—Robert Picheta, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'polish.' 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
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
Phrases Containing polish
Dictionary Entries Near polish
Cite this Entry
“Polish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polish. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
polish
1 of 4 verb
pol·ish
ˈpäl-ish 
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 noun1
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
: 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
Nglish: Translation of polish for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of polish for Arabic Speakers
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