tarnish

verb tar·nish \ ˈtär-nish \

|Updated on: 11 Aug 2018

Examples: tarnish in a Sentence

Definition of tarnish

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

play \ˈtär-ni-shə-bəl\ adjective

See tarnish defined for English-language learners

See tarnish defined for kids

Examples of tarnish in a Sentence

Some foods will tarnish silver.
The scandal tarnished his reputation.

Recent Examples of tarnish from the Web

Cuomo was not charged in the case or accused of any wrongdoing, but the trial tarnished a program that the governor had made a centerpiece of his efforts to lift the upstate economy.

— Fox News, "Jury convicts key players in corruption case linked to Cuomo's 'Buffalo Billion' program," 12 July 2018
Existing in Trump's world or shifting truth can be a tough for his aides, many of whom see their own reputations tarnished.

— stephen collinson, CNN, "Trump divines his own truth without consequences," 7 May 2018
Their viciousness kicked off a series of events that tarnished Hawkins’ momentous achievement and led even today to criticism of the civil rights leader.

— lauren ritchie, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Lake County owes Virgil Hawkins recognition and a thank you for role in civil rights struggle," 12 July 2018
Off the ice, however, his Detroit career was tarnished by a contract holdout and his decision to play for the Anaheim Ducks for less money in Southern California.

— helene st. james, Detroit Free Press, "Should Detroit Red Wings retire Sergei Fedorov's No. 91? It's time.," 12 July 2018
City of Brookfield's financing of a conference center at the struggling Brookfield Square Mall tarnished its sterling bond rating, a move that means the municipality is at higher risk of paying more for debt service in the years to come.

— karen pilarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "City of Brookfield approves conference center financing, but loses sterling bond rating in the process," 20 June 2018
Some still had political consequences; Bill Clinton’s legacy was further tarnished by an investigation into his pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich, and Ford never recovered from pardoning Nixon.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "Why Trump Isn’t Pardoning Allies Caught in the Mueller Probe – Yet," 1 June 2018
Peña Nieto’s image was also tarnished by a scandal involving the first lady’s unregistered purchase of a $6 million marble home, and the channeling of millions of dollars through public universities to phantom companies.

— maya averbuch, The New Republic, "What Turns an Outsider Into a President?," 23 May 2018
For Pastner, any evidence or testimony that tarnishes his reputation could impact his employment with Georgia Tech.

— michael mccann, SI.com, "The Potential Legal and NCAA Fallout From Josh Pastner's Lurid Litigation Dispute," 17 Feb. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of tarnish

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

tarnish Synonyms

Synonyms

blemish, darken, mar, poison, spoil, stain, taint, touch, vitiate;

Near Antonyms

cleanse, purify;

dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, glorify, hallow, magnify, uplift;

abase, cheapen, debase, degrade, demean, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, foul, lower, shame, sink;

bastardize, corrupt, debauch, demoralize, deprave, pervert, subvert;

tarnish

noun

Definition of tarnish

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

See tarnish defined for English-language learners

Examples of tarnish in a Sentence

a polish that removes tarnish

Recent Examples of tarnish from the Web

Rub the mixture on your copper item in circular motions and repeat until the entire surface is tarnish-free.

— lauren smith, Good Housekeeping, "How to Clean Copper and Make It Shine Like New Again," 4 May 2018
The Swedish Academy won’t name a Nobel laureate in literature this year, depriving the book industry of one of its main annual promotional events, and acknowledging the tarnish on the highest honor in letters.

— jeffrey a. trachtenberg, WSJ, "Swedish Academy Won’t Award Nobel Prize in Literature This Year," 4 May 2018
For heavier tarnish, mix three parts baking soda to one part water. Wet the silver and apply the cleaner with a soft, lint-free cloth.

— lauren smith, Good Housekeeping, "How to Clean Every Type of Jewelry," 9 Mar. 2018
But the flood of bad news has put a serious tarnish on the brand just as key competitors like Hyundai, Volkswagen, General Motors and others start bringing their own long-range models to market.

— NBC News, "Tesla recalls almost half the cars it ever built, as shares tank and Musk's billions shrink," 30 Mar. 2018
Each ornament features a three-dimensional design with a tarnish-resistant silver finish.

— ann norman, cleveland.com, "Lolly the Trolley returns to Medina Candlelight Walk Nov. 17-19," 3 Nov. 2017
Though this is the first time that a defamation suit has centered on a claim of changing gender, past courts have been forced to determine whether being deemed gay tarnishes a reputation.

— kenzie bryant, vanityfair.com, "Richard Simmons’s Loss Could Be Transgender Rights’ Gain," 31 Aug. 2017
With this nifty trick, a chemical reaction causes tarnish to transfer from your silver flatware to the aluminum foil.

— lauren piro, Good Housekeeping, "11 Who-Knew Uses for Aluminum Foil," 28 July 2017
In the midst of all this, the pedigreed Falkeses try to resist the tarnish of the Wolinskis.

— caroline leavitt, New York Times, "Fathers and Sons — and Maybe Two More Sons," 23 June 2017

First Known Use of tarnish

1684

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Metals and Metallurgy Terms

assay, bloom, bullion, ductile, ingot, malleable, patina, plate, temper, tensile

TARNISH Defined for English Language Learners

tarnish

verb

Definition of tarnish for English Language Learners

: to become or cause (metal) to become dull and not shiny
: to damage or ruin the good quality of (something, such as a person's reputation, image, etc.)

tarnish

noun

Definition of tarnish for English Language Learners

: a thin layer on the surface of metal which makes the metal look dull

TARNISH Defined for Kids

tarnish

verb tar·nish \ ˈtär-nish \

Definition of tarnish for Students

tarnished; tarnishing

1 : to make or become dull, dim, or discolored

2 : to bring disgrace or ruin

The scandal tarnished his reputation.

tarnish

noun

Definition of tarnish for Students

: a surface coating formed during tarnishing

Learn More about tarnish

See words that rhyme with tarnish Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tarnish Spanish Central: Translation of tarnish Nglish: Translation of tarnish for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tarnish for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tarnish

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tarnish

Definition of tarnish

tarnishable

Examples of tarnish in a Sentence

Recent Examples of tarnish from the Web

Origin and Etymology of tarnish

tarnish Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

tarnish

Definition of tarnish

Examples of tarnish in a Sentence

Recent Examples of tarnish from the Web

First Known Use of tarnish

Other Metals and Metallurgy Terms

TARNISH Defined for English Language Learners

tarnish

Definition of tarnish for English Language Learners

tarnish

Definition of tarnish for English Language Learners

TARNISH Defined for Kids

tarnish

Definition of tarnish for Students

tarnish

Definition of tarnish for Students

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