FURBISH Synonyms: 36 Similar and Opposite Words

furbish

verb

ˈfər-bish

Definition of furbish

as in to polish

to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure the warrior furbished his sword and shield so that they glinted in the sunlight

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for furbish

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, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of polish

Verb

One juror was rubbing his eyes as Sullivan talked, and another was clasping and unclasping his hands in his lap.

— Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
Danger, Olivo, and Mosco had just eaten by the gazebo and Damaris was rubbing her pup’s head goodnight, about to go into the shack.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of rub

Verb

This flattering style smooths the neck, concealing wrinkles and adding definition to the jawline by hiding a double chin or loose skin.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 11 Sep. 2026
These include load smoothing, low-voltage ride-through, demand response and grid stabilization.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of smooth

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

furbelows

furbish

furbished

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Furbish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/furbish. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of furbish

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

quorum

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes