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to repolish

to repolish

3.3
Make a surface shine again by rubbing it
  • verb
  • /ˌriːˈpɒlɪʃ/
translation icon : repulir
  • The jeweler will repolish the ring to bring back its original shine.

Examples

  • She decided to repolish the wooden table to restore its smooth surface.

  • The king was distraught and called in all of the stonecutters of the kingdom, commanding them to repolish the diamond and restore its beauty.

    Academic text (1990)
  • If your car's paint looks dull, you can repolish it to make it look new again.

Synonyms

to refurbish
vsto repolish
31 4.6

To make something clean and like new by fixing or decorating it

focuses on renewing surface shine and smoothness, not heavy repair
to refinish
vsto repolish
9 6.1

Make furniture or floors look new by removing old paint and putting on new paint

is a further light treatment aimed at restoring shine and smoothness
to freshen up
vsto repolish
  • Informal
4 3.0

Make a room look cleaner and nicer with small changes

aims at restoring shine and smoothness rather than general surface cleaning
to revarnish
vsto repolish
7.4

To make a reputation or image look better by hiding problems

is a repeat surface treatment to restore shine and smoothness
to furbish up
vsto repolish
  • Archaic
6.2

To make something old look new by fixing or cleaning it

focuses specifically on repeating surface shine and smoothness
to unsmirch
vsto repolish
9.9

To remove a stain or blame from someone's name

deals with physical surface shine and smoothness rather than clearing blame

How Shiny

to buff
17 4.4
to repolish
3.3
to touch up
8 3.8
to clean
1.0

Surface Forms

repolish infinitive
repolished past
repolished past participle
repolishing present participle
repolishes third person singular

Morphology

repolish = polish (transparent) = re + polish

This is a standard and fully compositional use of re- meaning 'again' added to the verb 'polish'.

Etymology

Repolish comes from the prefix re- meaning 'again' and polish meaning 'to make smooth or shine', so to repolish something is to make its surface smooth or shiny again.