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burnished

burnished

1 6.5
Has a smooth shiny surface after polishing
  • adjective
  • /ˈbɜrnɪʃt/
translation icon : pulido
  • The burnished surface of the table reflected the light beautifully.
  • burnished, eerie glow
  • smooth and burnished

Examples

  • The paler sky was squeezed into place by the heavy frame of the window, and the smoke from the fire had dissolved the stars to a burnished, eerie glow, like a warm soup of stars.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • "I smiled a little and kissed the top of her burnished red head."

    Fiction book (1990)
  • And there it is, folks, in all its burnished, sharpened glory!

    Blog text (5)
  • After several months stretched on its drying board, the vessel was burnished by us in unison.

  • All their faces: burnished, hardened, glowing.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The iris is left unpolished, but the pupil is burnished smooth to capture light at the right angle.

  • Finally, there's the burnished, beaming statue, bottom left.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Her burnished gold jewelry sparkled in the sunlight.

  • The artist used burnished colors to give the painting a radiant finish.

Synonyms

bright
vsburnished
459 1.0

Full of strong light that makes a place easy to see

is a reflective surface finish created by smoothing, not light emission
shiny
vsburnished
302 1.0

Bright and smooth because it reflects light

is created by careful smoothing to produce a mirrorlike reflection
glossy
vsburnished
34 2.6

Having a smooth shiny surface that reflects light like paper or hair

is produced by rubbing into a bright reflective finish rather than by applied coatings
polished
vsburnished
26 2.1

A shiny, smooth surface after being rubbed or cleaned

is produced by intense rubbing to create a bright reflective finish
lustrous
vsburnished
9 5.3

Shining with a soft, smooth glow like polished pearls

is brighter and more mirrorlike rather than softly glowing
shining
vsburnished
1 1.0

Bright and reflecting light because it is clean or polished

is made by rubbing until very smooth and mirrorlike
sheeny
vsburnished
1 6.7

Having a smooth, shiny surface that reflects light

is more strongly reflective and mirrorlike rather than softly gleaming
enameled
vsburnished
  • US
1 4.2

Having a smooth, hard, shiny surface for protection or decoration

is created by smoothing the surface, not by applying a hard coating
gleaming
vsburnished
3.2

A bright shine made when light bounces off a surface

is made by rubbing to give a smooth reflective metallic look
gleamy
vsburnished
4.2

A smooth shiny surface that reflects light

is more intensely reflective and created by smoothing to a mirrorlike finish
glistening
vsburnished
3.4

Shining with bright light, often because it is wet or smooth

is dry and made by smoothing to a bright reflective surface
pearlized
vsburnished
  • US
6.0

Having a shiny surface that shows soft changing colors like a pearl

is a plain bright reflective finish rather than an iridescent multi color sheen
varnished
vsburnished
4.7

Having a shiny clear layer that protects things like wood or furniture

is made by rubbing to form a smooth reflective surface rather than by coating
glazed
vsburnished
3.5

Having a smooth shiny surface, often on pottery or tiles

is done by rubbing into a bright reflective finish, not by a glass coat
waxed
vsburnished
3.2

Covered with a thin shiny layer to make a smooth surface

is made by rubbing to make a bright reflective finish not by coating

Antonyms

164 1.0

Not smooth and often harsh in sound

31 1.0

Not bright or shiny with weak colour

How Shiny

gleaming
3.2
burnished
1 6.5
glossy
34 2.6
shiny
302 1.0
satiny
3 4.1

Surface Forms

burnished positive

Morphology

burnished = burnish (transparent) = burnish + ed

Regular past-participle/adjectival formation from the verb 'burnish'; the meaning 'made shiny' follows standard English morphology.

Etymology

Burnished comes from the old French brunir, which meant 'to make brown' by rubbing metal until it became shiny and is related to the English word brown. So, something burnished is smooth and polished with a bright, shiny surface.