polished

adjective

pol·​ished ˈpä-lisht How to pronounce polished (audio)
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

Examples of polished in a Sentence

she could see her face reflected in the polished hood of the car showing the polished manners of a cosmopolitan woman
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.
The Pill also delivers big, polished sound, with refined clarity and punctual definition. Brenda Stolyar, Wired News, 24 May 2025 On May 20, the Princess of Wales helped host a Buckingham Palace garden party alongside Prince William while wearing a polished long-sleeve dress in the seasonal ‘it’ color, butter yellow. Averi Baudler, People.com, 23 May 2025 The waterproof, lightweight EVA (Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate) fabrication of any Birkenstock shoe would also be a fun choice for this look in lieu of the polished leather Boston style and would add a bit more shine to the fashion-forward look. Abby Morgan Lebet, Glamour, 23 May 2025 These two watches feature bidirectional rotating bezel with two-tone, matte black and polished black, ceramic insert. Bhanu Chopra, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for polished

Word History

Etymology

Middle English polisshed, from past participle of polisshen to polish

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

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Cite this Entry

“Polished.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polished. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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