polish

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verb

pol·​ish ˈpä-lish 

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

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noun (1)

1

a

: a smooth glossy surface : luster

b

somewhat old-fashioned : freedom from rudeness or coarseness : culture

c

: a state of high development or refinement

The movie has the polish we've come to expect from that director.

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

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adjective

Pol·​ish ˈpō-lish 

: of, relating to, or characteristic of Poland, the Poles, or Polish

Polish

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noun (2)

: the Slavic language of the Poles

polisher

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noun (3)

pol·​ish·​er

-shə(r)

plural -s

: one that polishes: such as

a

: a worker who polishes an article by hand or by machine to give it a clean smooth and usually glossy finish

b

: a bookbinder's hand tool used hot to polish leathers, crush down leather grains, and eliminate blisters on cloth covers

Synonyms of polish

Verb

• rub
• smooth
• shine
• coat
• gloss

Noun (1)

• accomplishment
• refinement
• culture
• education
• civilization
• knowledge
• cultivation
• literacy
• manners

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

Verb

Not only is Robert Carlock and Sam Means’ NBC sitcom designed to squeeze in as many jokes as the human brain can process in 21-minute chunks, it’s also carefully paced and polished to keep those jokes as superb and surprising as possible. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 2 Nov. 2026

Her rich, raven-black shade was polished to a mirror-like shine. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026

Noun

That works just fine for this season’s noble arc, but that same polish that’s arguably warranted now does little to suggest future seasons will be willing to wrestle with whatever truth may exist in Cash’s warning. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 4 Nov. 2026

More importantly for us, Badrutt’s combines old-world polish with a genuinely relaxed attitude to families. — Fergus Scholes, TheWeek, 3 Nov. 2026

Adjective

News that the 666 to Hel was back has spread quickly across Polish social media accounts, and beyond. — Anna Noryskiewicz, CBS News, 1 June 2026

The Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, who served as the European Council’s president, urged maximum understanding for Zelensky. — Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2026

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

Phrases Containing polish

• apple-polish
• French polish
• nail polish
• polish off
• spit and polish
• take a high polish
• to a polish

Rhymes for polish

• gaulish
• smallish
• abolish
• demolish

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 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 

: of, relating to, or characteristic of Poland, the Poles, or Polish

Polish

4 of 4 noun

: the Slavic language of the Poles