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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of polished
Jenny Berg, Vogue, 29 June 2025
This Coach bag has a polished aesthetic by combining the straw detailing with black pebble leather.
—Izzy Baskette, People.com, 29 June 2025
Dimensional, polished skin that still looks like skin.
—Larry Stansbury, Essence, 27 June 2025
Quite often, imperfect games like Lost Planet 2 age more gracefully than polished crowd-pleasers.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for polished
Adjective
Crisp, smooth, and cool, the sheets run no risk of stifling hot sleepers, and the pillowcases have self-hems that lend a polished look to any bed—or dorm room.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 29 June 2025
This Coach bag has a polished aesthetic by combining the straw detailing with black pebble leather.
—Izzy Baskette, People.com, 29 June 2025
Dimensional, polished skin that still looks like skin.
—Larry Stansbury, Essence, 27 June 2025
Quite often, imperfect games like Lost Planet 2 age more gracefully than polished crowd-pleasers.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for polished
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polished
Adjective
-
Don’t miss out on Beats headphones that come in sleek colors, Peepers reading glasses for as little as $8, and the ever-popular Ninja Creami during Amazon Prime Day 2025.—
Isabel Garcia,
People.com,
8 July 2025
-
Amazon $79 Nothing Nothing's Ear (a) (8/10, WIRED Recommends) deliver AirPods Pro-like sound in fun Pikachu-yellow with comfy silicone tips, plus a sleek charging case rarely seen at this price.—
Parker Hall,
Wired News,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
New money families fought for their place at the table with old money institutions by throwing undeniably elegant balls (with the proper soup) and funding irresistibly cultured opera houses (with the proper spectators).—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
12 June 2025
-
Goldwyn continued to crave the skills of savvy, street-smart writers like Hellman, the kind of intellect who might elevate an industry many cultured people still looked down their nose at.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 June 2025
Verb
-
Penn State has a 22-13-4 record this season and finished off Maine with a score of 5-1 before also taking down UConn 3-2 so far in the NCAA Tournament.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Rory McIlroy was 4-under through 13 but finished even after double-bogeys on 15 and 17.—
Bob Spear,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Fox’s lips were painted in a gray-nude glossy shade, a neutral choice to complement her pale, even-toned base.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
1 July 2025
-
The New York Post covered the killer’s trial gavel to gavel, while glossy magazines wrote about how not to let this happen to you.—
Mary Jane Gibson,
Rolling Stone,
29 June 2025
Adjective
-
In Families Like Ours, the slowly rising North Sea forces Denmark to follow Holland’s example and—in an orderly and civilized manner—evacuate the entire country.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
21 June 2025
-
In civilized countries, law enforcement officers wear nametags and numbered badges.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
8 June 2025
Adjective
-
New talent: Song for the Mute continues to grow in confidence with its most accomplished collection to date.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
30 June 2025
-
That late start didn’t stop him from becoming the most accomplished and influential trainer in the history of North American horse racing.—
Neil Milbert,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2025
Adjective
-
Pop a satin version on top of your usual night-out curls to make the 'do feel glamorous.—
Jasmine Washington,
Seventeen,
18 Jan. 2023
-
From satin pillowcases to a hydrating moisturizer, all of these products are on sale for less than $25.—
Isabel Garcia,
Peoplemag,
13 Jan. 2023
Adjective
-
Land Rover returns as the official vehicle of The Surf Lodge, offering guests an elevated way to explore Montauk, with a fleet of these refined yet rugged Defender SUVs.—
Cassell Ferere,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
In a climate of uncertainty, designers proposed modular, adaptable wardrobes attuned to a global consumer, and the attention shifted away from slogans and theatrics toward refined construction and nuance, with block colors, versatile garments and an eye towards utility.—
Alice Pfeiffer,
CNN Money,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Polished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polished. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share