polish

1 of 4

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

2 of 4

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

3 of 4

adjective

Pol·​ish ˈpō-lish 

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

Polish

4 of 4

noun (2)

: the Slavic language of the Poles

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

Italian Wedding Soup Speaking of proposals, this classic soup is polished enough to serve at a wedding, but homey enough for a weeknight. — Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Sep. 2026

Running a raw, unedited Q&A shows the reality of the technology without a corporate PR team polishing the rough edges or hiding the structural failures. — New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026

Noun

The 3-1 margin of victory could have been wider had City not at times missed that final bit of polish at Joie Stadium. — Katie Whyatt, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026

Factory visits from Strange Parts and Bitner Built add a little weight to these promises, but questions around long-term reliability, software polish, calibration, and real-world print quality will have to wait until production machines reach users. — New Atlas, 5 Sep. 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