🥄 A dull layer 😔 Loss of respect

tarnishment

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

dishonor

vstarnishment

35 5.1

Shame and loss of respect after bad actions

is the process of losing respect or brightness, not just a shame state

stain

vstarnishment

34 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

33 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

fall from grace

vstarnishment

8 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

3 7.5

Making a person or thing less respected and less valued

is a passive loss of respect or brightness rather than active reduction

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

besmirchment

vstarnishment

Formal

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

Antonyms

enhancement

81 4.2

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

elevation

12 4.1

Raising someone to a higher job or rank

How Damaging

ruin

100 3.2

scandal

Literature

564 2.8

tarnishment

8.2

stain

34 6.8

blemish

15 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.