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Glite Dictionary
😔 Loss of respect 🥄 A dull layer
tarnishment

tarnishment

1 8.2
A loss of respect that makes people think less of someone
  • noun
  • /ˈtɑrnɪʃmənt/
: desprestigio
  • Many people saw the scandal as a tarnishment of the politician's reputation.

Examples

  • The tarnishment of the once-famous brand's image has affected its sales significantly.

  • A trademark owner must also show that the manufacturer's use of the mark is likely to cause dilution by blurring or tarnishment. A mark is blurred when it is used

    Academic text (2016)

  • The tarnishment of her gold jewelry made it look dull and less attractive.

Synonyms

stain
vstarnishment
44 6.8

A mark on someone's reputation that makes others respect them less

is broader, covering gradual loss of respect or loss of brightness or value
degradation
vstarnishment
41 6.8

The process of making land, water, or buildings worse over time

is similar but highlights the ongoing process rather than a single event
dishonor
vstarnishment
  • US
30 5.1

Shame and loss of respect after bad actions

is the process of losing respect or brightness, not just a shame state
fall from grace
vstarnishment
17 6.6

A loss of status and respect after wrongdoing

is a general decline in respect or value rather than a specific scandal event
debasement
vstarnishment
4 7.5

Making a person or thing less respected and less valued

is a passive loss of respect or brightness rather than active reduction
besmirchment
vstarnishment
  • Formal
1 9.0

Damage to a person's good name by saying untrue things

is the outcome of such actions, a loss of respect or value
taintedness
vstarnishment
9.1

A state of being dirty, spoiled, or having a damaged reputation

is about losing respect or brightness rather than moral contamination

Antonyms

enhancement
76 4.2

A change that makes something better, more useful, or more attractive

elevation
11 4.1

Raising someone to a higher job or rank

How Damaging

ruin
90 3.2
scandal
  • Literature
669 2.8
tarnishment
1 8.2
stain
44 6.8
blemish
22 3.9

Surface Forms

tarnishment singular
tarnishments plural

Morphology

tarnishment = tarnish (semi-transparent) = tarnish + ment

Formally the same nominalization, but the meaning is a metaphorical extension (dulling of reputation) rather than a literal physical process.

Etymology

Tarnishment comes from an old French word ternir meaning 'to make dull'. So when a person's good name or a thing's value is made less bright or respected, we call that a tarnishment of their reputation or worth.