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
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
The election chaos represents the culmination of an increasingly tarnished human rights record by Tanzania in recent months, with all eyes on international observers and countries following the polls.
—Martin K.n Siele, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
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
Before essentially becoming a tarnished player, Rozier starred at the University of Louisville for two seasons before becoming the 16th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Farmers in Jenkins County, like many farmers, face numerous insect infestations, including stink bugs, cotton bollworms, corn earworms, tarnished plant bugs and aphids.
—Atin Adhikari, The Conversation, 23 Sep. 2025
Newer companies promising noble causes, in contrast, are not tarnished—or less tarnished, at least—which also appeals to idealistic young workers.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2025
Dan Woike, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Then apply the paste directly to tarnished silver or stainless steel using a soft cloth.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 10 Feb. 2026
The 72-year-old Labour politician is a contentious figure whose career has been tarnished with scandals over money or ethics.
—Jill Lawless, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
Their competition reignited interest in baseball, but both became tied to the sport's steroid scandal that tarnished their reputations and has kept them out of the Hall of Fame.
—CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
Keep yourself above reproach for the next week to avoid getting tarnished by association.
—Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
Reputations have been tarnished, in some cases irrevocably.
—Diana Paulsen, ABC News, 6 Feb. 2026
The public tussle tarnished the Burbank company’s clean image and undermined its goal of entertaining the masses, no matter their political stripes.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
No longer relevant, tarnished Boomer.
—Dan Pontefract, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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
The election chaos represents the culmination of an increasingly tarnished human rights record by Tanzania in recent months, with all eyes on international observers and countries following the polls.
—Martin K.n Siele, semafor.com, 31 Oct. 2025
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
Before essentially becoming a tarnished player, Rozier starred at the University of Louisville for two seasons before becoming the 16th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Farmers in Jenkins County, like many farmers, face numerous insect infestations, including stink bugs, cotton bollworms, corn earworms, tarnished plant bugs and aphids.
—Atin Adhikari, The Conversation, 23 Sep. 2025
Newer companies promising noble causes, in contrast, are not tarnished—or less tarnished, at least—which also appeals to idealistic young workers.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
Or is this a one-of-one moment, the answer to a trivia question about a dunk contest that blends with the other forgettable ones that have tarnished the reputation of the event?
—Dan Woike, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Then apply the paste directly to tarnished silver or stainless steel using a soft cloth.
—Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 10 Feb. 2026
The 72-year-old Labour politician is a contentious figure whose career has been tarnished with scandals over money or ethics.
—Jill Lawless, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
Their competition reignited interest in baseball, but both became tied to the sport's steroid scandal that tarnished their reputations and has kept them out of the Hall of Fame.
—CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
Keep yourself above reproach for the next week to avoid getting tarnished by association.
—Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
Reputations have been tarnished, in some cases irrevocably.
—Diana Paulsen, ABC News, 6 Feb. 2026
The public tussle tarnished the Burbank company’s clean image and undermined its goal of entertaining the masses, no matter their political stripes.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
No longer relevant, tarnished Boomer.
—Dan Pontefract, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnished
Adjective
-
Zamiri’s style is well suited for the project, with parts of it reading like an extended music video, while the more documentary-like scenes have an unpolished feel.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Where oversized, chunky, rounded silhouettes read as frumpy and unpolished, this does the exact opposite.—
Kaelin Dodge,
InStyle,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But more recently, Clark’s tenure has been marred by dissent and distractions.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The abrupt withdrawal of Microsoft's co-founder dealt a fresh blow to a flagship event already marred by organisational lapses, a robot row and complaints of traffic chaos.—
Aditya Soni,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That means every angle needs to be screen-ready and not tainted by equipment, crew or the director.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The entire imbroglio proved hugely damaging, not only to Boohoo but also the Leicester garment industry, which was already struggling to cope with the manufacturing shift overseas before the fear of being tainted by scandal led its remaining buyers to flee en masse.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Gooday explained that red hone is blue hone that has been stained by iron materials.—
Asuka Koda,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Classic raised garden beds made of wood and stained to protect them from the elements are a good way to pack a lot of plants into a small space.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
When Bill’s older brother Henry (Barry Ward) finds the pianist in numbed solitude in his dingy apartment, Bill has canceled all his upcoming gigs, saying Scotty cannot be replaced.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Finding one that marries style and functionality can quickly take the space from dingy to spa-like.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
This friend group is so poisoned.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
-
In 2016, dozens of residents from a subdivision about 20 miles from the Boarmans’ home sued oil giant ConocoPhillips, alleging that years of improper oil field waste disposal had poisoned their drinking water.—
Nick Bowlin,
The Frontier,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Indoor plants soften hard edges, brighten dim corners, and bring a bit of the outdoors inside.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
17 Feb. 2026
-
That means dialing down loud sound effects and keeping the lights dim but not completely dark.—
Alyssa Ramos,
Miami Herald,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In a duel of the top two teams in the West Coast Conference standings, Gonzaga (25-2, 13-1 WCC) spoiled the Broncos’ best start to a season since 1969-70.—
Jeff Faraudo,
Mercury News,
15 Feb. 2026
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The following day, nearly all of my friend’s food had spoiled, whereas mine lasted nearly all week.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tarnished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnished. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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