polished

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adjective pol·ished \ ˈpä-lisht \

Definition of polished

1 :subjected to polishing :made smooth and glossy by or as if by polishing

a polished surface

polished silver

2 :characterized by a high degree of development, finish, or refinement :free from imperfections

a polished performance/performer

a highly polished piece of writing

3 somewhat old-fashioned :characterized by elegance and refinement

a polished gentleman

polished society

See polished defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of polished from the Web

Given its disappointing reception, Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband, had the stone recut and polished—a process that reduced its size by half but made the light refract more brilliantly from its surface.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "The True Story of the Koh-i-Noor Diamond—And Why the British Won’t Give It Back," 30 Aug. 2017
Finnegan had a nice 2016 season, but had further to go to be polished like DeSclafani is.

— zach buchanan, Cincinnati.com, "BAR: Where does Joey Votto fit in the MVP discussion?," 25 Aug. 2017
The fort dumped its garbage there, and all that’s left is a beautiful beach and finely polished pieces of glass.

— lynn jacobson, The Seattle Times, "Paddle a kayak from Fort Worden for a waterside tour of Port Townsend," 23 Aug. 2017
As demonstrated by Scaramucci’s Trump-adulating yet polished and charming press conference, the Mooch might be that man.

— tiana lowe, National Review, "‘The Mooch’ Could Be Exactly What We Need," 25 July 2017
A cube of polished wood with Miesian girders, the Broad Museum-adjacent eatery takes full advantage of its 20-foot ceilings and loft-like space.

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Los Angeles Magazine Hot Restaurant List for July 2017," 18 July 2017
The seven antique fireplaces were polished and shined, wall murals were restored, and original wallpaper displayed.

— elizabeth finkelstein, Country Living, "This Historical Kentucky Farmhouse Has a Surprisingly Colorful Interior," 23 June 2017
Facebook Inc. is paying professional videogame teams and others in the esports industry to post videos on the social network, part of a shift in strategy to deliver more-polished programming to the company’s nearly two billion monthly users.

— deepa seetharaman, WSJ, "Facebook Embraces Esports in Its Video Strategy Shift," 18 May 2017
In many of the years, the show displayed about 220 collector vehicles from 15 states, the polished vehicles tucked among the trees and on the grass of the campus at 4415 Warwick Blvd.

— eric adler, kansascity, "After 10 years, KC’s Art of the Car Concours summer event has had its last ride," 9 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'polished.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of polished

Middle English polisshed, from past participle of polisshen to polish

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

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polished Synonyms

Synonyms

buffed, burnished, glistening, lustrous, glossy, rubbed, satin, satiny, sleek

Antonyms

dim, dull, flat, lusterless, matte (also mat or matt)

Related Words

brushed, eggshell, semigloss, semilustrous; silken, silky, slick, slippery; glassy, glazed, lacquered, shellacked, varnished; gleaming, glittering, reflective, shining

Near Antonyms

lackluster; unvarnished

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polished

Definition of polished

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Origin and Etymology of polished

polished Synonyms

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polished

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