as in unpolished
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as in marred
to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable
a false accusation that nonetheless tarnished her reputation
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Recent Examples of tarnished
Zev Fima, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
But Chavez’s legacy became increasingly tarnished as the years went on.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Among critics and in press circles, Wahlberg is a bit of a tarnished superstar after that petulant display, but audiences still love their Jack Dawson.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Focus on tarnished areas, and be sure to be gentle.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 23 Feb. 2026
Despite his tarnished public persona, some royal experts doubt that exile at Marsh Farm will suit Andrew for the rest of his life.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Fyre Fraud explores the class-action lawsuits and tarnished reputations that followed, offering a commentary on the dominance of influencer culture and social media propaganda.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
If the copper is heavily tarnished, let the toothpaste's active ingredients work on the patina for ten minutes or so before buffing.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
For many people in the country, and certainly critics of the royal family, these moves might not be enough to rehabilitate the monarchy’s tarnished reputation.
—Max Foster, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
The Factbook also likely served as a boost to the CIA's public image and put distance between it and other intelligence agencies tarnished by congressional investigations.
—CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
The Factbook also likely served as a boost to the CIA’s public image and put distance between it and other intelligence agencies tarnished by congressional investigations.
—Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Some companies have discovered their innocent shenanigans failed to delight audiences and instead tarnished their brands.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026
The trouble tarnished one of the biggest days of the year in Cincinnati, which began with the annual Findlay Market parade and high hopes among Downtown-area businesses for a busy start to the Reds season.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 27 Mar. 2026
Anthropic said the designation violated its First Amendment rights, tarnished its reputation and jeopardized hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of contracts.
—Devan Cole, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
The injury tarnished an impressive return for Moody, who missed Golden State’s previous 10 games with a wrist injury.
—Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 Mar. 2026
The reputation of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, one of the world’s biggest donors, is also getting tarnished.
—David Campbell, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Things keep lining up against Microsoft , with all roads leading back to the company's tarnished standing as an artificial intelligence leader and how that could impact the company's Azure cloud growth.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
But Chavez’s legacy became increasingly tarnished as the years went on.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026
Among critics and in press circles, Wahlberg is a bit of a tarnished superstar after that petulant display, but audiences still love their Jack Dawson.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Focus on tarnished areas, and be sure to be gentle.
—Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 23 Feb. 2026
Despite his tarnished public persona, some royal experts doubt that exile at Marsh Farm will suit Andrew for the rest of his life.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Fyre Fraud explores the class-action lawsuits and tarnished reputations that followed, offering a commentary on the dominance of influencer culture and social media propaganda.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Feb. 2026
If the copper is heavily tarnished, let the toothpaste's active ingredients work on the patina for ten minutes or so before buffing.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
For many people in the country, and certainly critics of the royal family, these moves might not be enough to rehabilitate the monarchy’s tarnished reputation.
—Max Foster, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
The bling is back, but the war in the Persian Gulf has tarnished the outlook for the luxury watch industry — the ultimate in bling.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
The Factbook also likely served as a boost to the CIA's public image and put distance between it and other intelligence agencies tarnished by congressional investigations.
—CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026
The Factbook also likely served as a boost to the CIA’s public image and put distance between it and other intelligence agencies tarnished by congressional investigations.
—Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Some companies have discovered their innocent shenanigans failed to delight audiences and instead tarnished their brands.
—John Tufts, IndyStar, 1 Apr. 2026
The trouble tarnished one of the biggest days of the year in Cincinnati, which began with the annual Findlay Market parade and high hopes among Downtown-area businesses for a busy start to the Reds season.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 27 Mar. 2026
Anthropic said the designation violated its First Amendment rights, tarnished its reputation and jeopardized hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of contracts.
—Devan Cole, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
The injury tarnished an impressive return for Moody, who missed Golden State’s previous 10 games with a wrist injury.
—Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 Mar. 2026
The reputation of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, one of the world’s biggest donors, is also getting tarnished.
—David Campbell, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnished
Adjective
-
On screen, Shark brings a raw, unpolished energy that complements the film’s aesthetic.—
Sean Sennett,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Apr. 2026
-
There are games when the Colombian can look a bit unpolished, a little too desperate to attack at pace and hit through the ball with all his might.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
But her career has been marred by high-profile incidents — including being photographed in 2007 with a freshly shaven head hitting a car with an umbrella.—
Marlene Lenthang,
NBC news,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Sunday’s vote was marred by delays in distributing electoral materials in several districts of Lima, forcing authorities to extend voting into Monday.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Now, the school is feeling some of the same competitive pressure its public school neighbors have been feeling – because, in Cedar Rapids' new, competitive marketplace, its product has gone from shiny and new to questionable and perhaps tainted.—
Cory Turner,
NPR,
19 Apr. 2026
-
There, Quenneville’s triumphs were later tainted by an organizational scandal that left him barred by the league for several seasons prior to joining the Ducks.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One of them, Amy, a blond child with limp ponytails and a thin dress that looks like it might have been stained, stands outside a porch door, her fists balled up, mouth open, angry or unhappy or both.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
-
These areas are most productive on sunny days or when the water’s stained.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In the summer of 1974, Peter was invited to show some of his pictures of nightlife, the Catacombs, and Candy Darling on her deathbed at the Floating Foundation of Photography, a dingy barge filled with handmade furniture docked at the 79th Street Boat Basin.—
Andrew Durbin,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Brian Hooker reported his wife missing on Sunday, April 5, saying she had been swept away from a dingy which lost power the night before, hampering his ability to seek help.—
Cristian Benavides,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Weinstein’s lawyers have argued that his New York conviction last year was poisoned by bad blood among jurors.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Could Ty Jones, whose autopsy said the 33-year-old died of heart issues, have been poisoned too?—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Sony cameras have a leg up in dim light and blur backgrounds more readily, but aren't quite as useful as the ZS300 for a trip to the zoo or for snapping pictures of squirrels in your backyard.—
Jim Fisher,
PC Magazine,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Swapping your bedside lighting also makes a difference — dim red lights are less likely to shift circadian rhythms than white or blue light and make a better nighttime alternative.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The quiet offensive day spoiled Ureña’s outing.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
-
This sprout is the early stage of a new garlic plant forming inside the clove, not a sign that your garlic has spoiled.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tarnished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnished. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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