Synonyms of tarnished

tarnished 1 of 2

adjective

as in unpolished

Related Words

• unpolished
• lusterless
• dulled
• dingy
• dim
• lackluster
• drab
• muddy
• matte
• dull
• cloudy
• darkened
• gray
• pale
• dirty
• mousy
• obscured
• leaden
• dimmed
• flat
• dusky
• gloomy
• obscure
• black
• somber
• darkish
• palish
• murky
• dark
• pitch-black
• pitch-dark
• stygian
• tenebrous
• tenebrific

Dissimilar Words

• shiny
• rubbed
• glossy
• burnished
• lustrous
• sleek
• polished
• lacquered
• varnished
• glazed
• satin
• shining
• silky
• satiny
• silken
• gleaming
• buffed
• slippery
• slick
• shellacked
• sparkling
• glistening
• brilliant
• shimmering
• bright
• dazzling
• luminous
• radiant
• incandescent
• resplendent
• twinkling
• glowing
• effulgent
• lucid
• lucent
• lambent
• glittering
• glinting
• glimmering
• brightened
• gemmy
• refulgent
• scintillating
• beaming
• fulgent
• bedazzling
• candescent

tarnished

2 of 2

verb

past tense of tarnish

as in marred

to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable

a false accusation that nonetheless tarnished her reputation

Synonyms & Similar Words

• marred
• tainted
• stained
• poisoned
• spoiled
• darkened
• touched
• discredited
• distorted
• degraded
• blemished
• blackened
• smeared
• sullied
• lowered
• vitiated
• corrupted
• polluted
• soiled
• blurred
• disgraced
• discolored
• clouded
• smudged
• besmirched
• tarred
• dishonored
• shamed
• dirtied
• debased
• perverted
• smirched
• demeaned
• cheapened
• begrimed
• sank
• subverted
• besmeared
• twisted
• colored
• debauched
• smutted
• depraved
• fouled
• demoralized
• abased
• bastardized

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• purified
• cleansed
• elevated
• magnified
• enshrined
• dignified
• glorified
• uplifted
• ennobled
• hallowed

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of tarnished

Adjective

The Pierre was a gem, but a tarnished one after 96 summers and thousands of guests. — Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026

Her lower back had ached during dinner, and, sure enough, there was the tarnished rust of her period in her underwear. — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

As the New York Times reports, Gates is seemingly pulling out all the stops to rescue his tarnished brand, a fall from grace that’s putting his $89 billion global health fund, the Gates Foundation, in jeopardy. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 11 June 2026

From a low-security prison in California, the former Democratic megadonor has been seeking to reshape his tarnished image while making public declarations in support of the president. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 9 June 2026

The Golden State’s reputation for its business climate is a bit tarnished. — Doug McCauley, Oc Register, 27 May 2026

Despite its tarnished early service history ‒ the two crashes combined killed 346 people ‒ the MAX has proven a capable plane. — Zach Wichter, USA Today, 20 May 2026

The sprawling case, which has thousands of court filings, is a battle of salvaging tarnished reputations. — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2026

Try The Polish Test Use a clean, soft cloth to rub the tarnished silver. — Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026

Verb

The Iran-contra scandal in the mid-1980s badly tarnished Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy record. — Nate Swanson, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026

The Pentagon's inadequate communication has tarnished trust and credibility among the American public, Congress and crucial regional allies who are facing Iranian attacks, three former military officials tell Lawrence. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 21 July 2026

Jingye Group said in a WeChat statement that the nationalization move tarnished the credibility of the British government, spooked international investors and caused great losses to the company’s operation and British taxpayers’ funds. — Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026

Some of that sheen has been tarnished in recent weeks by Farage's acceptance of funds from wealthy donors, perhaps giving Burnham an opening to revive Labour's fortunes. — Elizabeth Piper, USA Today, 17 July 2026

And that would enhance his legacy, which has been tarnished lately because of Miami’s three straight lackluster seasons. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026

The more attention Clark brought to the league, the more many of its players tarnished their own public image. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026

Also in 2018, Prince Mohammed's reputation was tarnished by the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. — ABC News, 8 July 2026

In that light, the NCAA has insisted that the more college sports seem like pro sports, with athletes who want to stick around well into their 20s, the game’s marketability and TV ratings could be tarnished. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 7 July 2026