varnish

verb

varnished; varnishing; varnishes

transitive verb

1

: to apply varnish to

2

: to cover or conceal (something, such as something unpleasant) with something that gives an attractive appearance

3

: adorn, embellish

varnisher

ˈvär-ni-shər 

noun

Examples of varnish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Although pest control companies offer lethal solutions such as carpenter bee traps or chemical treatments, the best way to keep carpenter bees from bugging you is using stained, sealed, varnished or treated wood in building projects. —Sarah Linn april 24, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026

Bringing a top-tier women’s sports event to the country and having its citizens watch women compete represented an opportunity to varnish its human-rights record, which has been criticized by several organizations regarding its treatment of women. —Ava Wallace, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026

Reaching the island is all part of the fun too, requiring you to hop aboard a vintage, slickly varnished wooden boat at Balmaha and schedule a pick-up time for the way back. —Rosie Conroy, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026

Like most ’80s metal heroes who briefly lost their way in the late ’90s, Megadeth have spent the 21st century varnishing their legacy with what’s tried and true, delivering eight LPs since 2001 that all basically sound the same. —Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 26 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English vernysshen, borrowed from Middle French vernicier and Medieval Latin vernizāre, both derivative of Old French verniz varnish entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing varnish

• desert varnish
• nail varnish
• spar varnish
• spirit varnish
• varnish tree

Rhymes for varnish

• garnish
• tarnish

Kids Definition

varnish

1 of 2 noun

var·​nish ˈvär-nish 

1

a

: a liquid that when spread and allowed to dry on a surface forms a hard shiny typically transparent coating

b

: the covering or shiny coating given by varnish

2

: false outward appearance

varnish

2 of 2 verb

: to cover with or as if with varnish

Medical Definition

varnish

noun

var·​nish ˈvär-nish 

: any of various liquid preparations that when spread and allowed to dry on a surface form a hard lustrous typically transparent coating and that include some used in dentistry to line deep cavities in order to protect the pulp of a tooth

varnish transitive verb