tarnish

verb tar·nish \ ˈtär-nish \

|Updated on: 16 Jun 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

Both have distanced themselves from Colombia’s political class, which has been badly tarnished by a Brazilian corruption scandal that has spread across Latin America.

— ian bremmer, Time, "5 Reasons Why Right-Wing Senator Ivan Duque Is Likely to Win Colombia's Presidential Election," 1 June 2018
The school’s reputation has been badly tarnished by its association to Nassar, and a trial pitting the university against Nassar’s victims would have only reinforced the Michigan State-Nassar connection.

— michael mccann, SI.com, "Michigan State Settles With the Victims of Larry Nassar's Abuse. How Might the NCAA Respond?," 18 May 2018
The golden years are likely to be tarnished for nearly half the country.

— chris morris, Fortune, "42% of Americans Have Less Than $10,000 Saved For Retirement," 18 Apr. 2018
Before the season, Oakland basketball coach Greg Kampe put his senior class on notice: Win the Horizon League tournament or your legacy will be tarnished.

— chris nelsen, Detroit Free Press, "Legacy on the line for Oakland in Horizon League tournament," 3 Mar. 2018
Violence against the Rohingya, nearly all of whom are Muslim, in the country’s Rakhine state has been likened to ethnic cleansing and has tarnished the reputation of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel laureate whose party now controls Myanmar.

— gardiner harris, New York Times, "Myanmar Is Intensifying Violence Against Ethnic Minorities, U.S. Says," 29 May 2018
The announcement late Friday marked an ignoble end for the embattled university executive, whose tenure had been overshadowed by recent scandals tarnishing the reputation of one of Southern California's premier educational institutions.

— thomas curwen, latimes.com, "Nikias' tenure as USC president was marked by growth and scandal," 26 May 2018
Comcast honchos want to replace embattled NBC News Chairman Andy Lack by the end of the year after a series of public relations debacles have tarnished the news division’s once-sterling reputation, Fox News has learned.

— brian flood, Fox News, "NBC honchos hope to replace embattled news boss Andy Lack after multiple scandals," 14 May 2018
Southampton are not necessarily in need of such a player, while Meyer has no doubt tarnished his reputation through this bizarre story.

— SI.com, "Southampton Reportedly Decline Opportunity to Sign Troubled Schalke 04 Starlet," 6 May 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

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.)