Synonyms of polished

polished 1 of 2

adjective

ˈpä-lisht 

1

as in sleek

having a shiny surface or finish

she could see her face reflected in the polished hood of the car

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sleek
• glossy
• glistening
• satin
• burnished
• rubbed
• gleaming
• lustrous
• buffed
• satiny
• glittering
• brushed
• silky
• reflective
• shining
• lacquered
• glazed
• varnished
• slick
• glassy
• silken
• slippery
• semilustrous
• semigloss
• shellacked
• eggshell

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• flat
• dull
• dim
• lusterless
• lackluster
• matte
• unvarnished

2

as in cultured

having or showing a taste for the fine arts and gracious living

showing the polished manners of a cosmopolitan woman

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cultured
• civilized
• accomplished
• refined
• cultivated
• polite
• educated
• civil
• sophisticated
• scholarly
• literate
• genteel
• cerebral
• couth
• cosmopolitan
• intellectual
• erudite
• highbrow
• knowledgeable
• courteous
• intellectualistic
• learned
• urbane
• well-bred
• high-toned
• highbrowed
• mannerly
• well-read
• intellectualist
• overcivilized
• hypercivilized
• oversophisticated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unpolished
• unrefined
• uncivilized
• barbaric
• barbarous
• ignorant
• uncultured
• uneducated
• illiterate
• coarse
• unlettered
• unintelligent
• rustic
• provincial
• lowbrow
• ungenteel
• philistine
• unsophisticated
• crude
• backwoods
• inelegant
• polyester
• vulgar
• uncouth
• boorish
• clownish
• ill-mannered
• churlish
• ill-bred
• cloddish

polished

2 of 2

verb

past tense of polish

1

as in smoothed

to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure

you'll need to polish your shoes with a clean rag before the performance

Synonyms & Similar Words

• smoothed
• rubbed
• coated
• burnished
• scrubbed
• buffed
• glossed
• shone
• dressed
• ground
• scraped
• finished
• furbished
• sanded
• glazed
• smoothened
• bobbed
• varnished
• slicked
• faced
• lacquered
• veneered
• sleeked
• brightened
• sandblasted
• filed
• japanned
• sandpapered
• scoured
• boned
• lapped
• rasped

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• roughened
• ruffled
• scuffed (up)
• roughed (up)

2

as in finished

to bring (something) to a state where nothing remains to be done

once you polish the article a bit, it'll be ready to submit

Synonyms & Similar Words

• finished
• completed
• perfected
• accomplished
• finalized
• consummated
• got through
• executed
• fulfilled
• did
• improved
• refined
• achieved
• performed
• stuck out
• effected
• carried out
• enhanced
• machined
• enriched
• amended
• bettered
• shone
• carried through
• ameliorated
• discharged
• followed through (with)
• meliorated
• rounded (off or out)
• touched up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abandoned
• dropped
• deserted
• discontinued
• quit
• forsook

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of polished

Adjective

Originally designed by Jon Bannenberg, Sheergold’s interiors feature polished pear wood, Chesterfield sofas and brass detailing—creating the feel of a private country house at sea. — Dea Jusufi, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026

After all, the trouser-like design and satin finish looks way more polished than your average work pants, but the relaxed style gives you the same comfort as sweats. — Alyssa Morin, InStyle, 25 July 2026

Verb

The rayon slub fabric has that soft, linen-like texture that reads polished in photos but feels like loungewear, with a medium stretch that keeps it comfortable on long flights. — Robin Raven, Travel + Leisure, 15 July 2026

Just as oil money transformed and modernized the Gulf into city-states of gleaming skyscrapers, centuries of wine money have polished this rural corner of Burgundy into an agri-luxury oasis. — George Nelson For Artnews, Robb Report, 9 July 2026