tarnish

1 of 2

verb

tar·​nish ˈtär-nish 

tarnished; tarnishing; tarnishes

transitive verb

1

: to dull or destroy the luster of by or as if by air, dust, or dirt : soil, stain

2

a

: to detract from the good quality of : vitiate

his fine dreams now slightly tarnished

b

: to bring disgrace on : sully

the scandal has tarnished his reputation

intransitive verb

: to become tarnished

tarnishable

ˈtär-ni-shə-bəl 

adjective

tarnish

2 of 2

noun

: something that tarnishes

especially : a film of chemically altered material on the surface of a metal (such as silver)

Synonyms

Verb

• blemish
• darken
• mar
• poison
• spoil
• stain
• taint
• touch
• vitiate

Examples of tarnish in a Sentence

Verb

Some foods will tarnish silver.

The scandal tarnished his reputation.

Noun

a polish that removes tarnish

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Thoughtless faux pas can tarnish a good relationship. —Usa Today, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025

Should Trump’s tariff scheme backfire completely by causing a recession or worse, their reputations as risk managers and complex-systems thinkers would naturally be tarnished (see: Bill Ackman). —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2025

Noun

Instead, leave the forks, spoons, and knives in a basin of water with a dishwasher gel pod or powder table, then scrub away streaks or tarnish. —Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 9 Feb. 2025

Sprinkle the rough side of the sponge with salt and scrub the tarnish off the copper surface. —Jan Soults Walker, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English ternysshen, from Middle French terniss-, stem of ternir, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German tarnan to hide

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1684, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing tarnish

• anti-tarnish

Rhymes for tarnish

• garnish
• varnish

Kids Definition

tarnish

1 of 2 verb

tar·​nish ˈtär-nish 

1

: to make or become dull, dim, or discolored

silver tarnishes

2

: to bring disgrace or cast doubt on

tarnished the family's good name

tarnish

2 of 2 noun

: something that tarnishes

especially : a film of chemically changed material on the surface of a metal (as silver)