tarnish
3
5.7
- noun
- /ˈtɑrnɪʃ/
:
deslustre
- The photos fell from her lap, her youth, her motherhood, her daughter, the men she loved, all tumbling onto the rug, face up, face down, the bowl used for storing them showing streaks of tarnish under the amber light.
- remove the tarnish
- show signs of tarnish
This back together now this way around, because this was the bit with the most tarnish on it.
- This back together now this way around, because this was the bit with the most tarnish on it.
Examples
-
No matter how much Anglo Democrats polished their image, the tarnish of intolerance could not be removed.
Academic text (2001) -
It's some sort of tarnish remover, the same stuff Mom uses to clean her silverware.
Fiction book (1993) -
Watch how the tarnish goes on quickly because of the acid in it.
-
Well, it's not quite as much tarnish as I was hoping, but it'll do.
-
Oralee has to polish it constantly to keep the tarnish at bay.
Fiction book (1995) -
The arrogance of a growing army of American religious missionaries to China added yet more tarnish.
Academic text (1992) -
P181 Temple examined the gleaming silver tray for any remaining traces of tarnish, careful not to touch it with her blackened fingers.
Fiction book (1994) -
It had turned Silverbridge, the shining bridge of ballad, into rust and tarnish, and even now the demons advanced.
Fiction book (2001) -
They wanted their readers to want—endlessly, more: more dirt, more tarnish to the silver of his reputation.
Fiction book (1994) -
The ancient silver vase had accumulated a layer of tarnish that dulled its once brilliant finish.
Synonyms
21
4.4
A change in color that makes something look faded or stained
A dull layer that forms on metal and reduces its shine
Antonyms
How Shiny
Surface Forms
Etymology
Tarnish comes from an old French verb ternir that meant 'to make dark' or 'dull', so a tarnish is the dull film that forms on metal and makes it lose its shine.