burnish
American
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
burnishsimple
-
burnishessimple
-
have burnishedperfect
-
has burnishedperfect
-
am burnishingprogressive
-
are burnishingprogressive
-
is burnishingprogressive
-
have been burnishingperfect progressive
-
has been burnishingperfect progressive
Past
-
burnishedsimple
-
had burnishedperfect
-
was burnishingprogressive
-
were burnishingprogressive
-
had been burnishingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of burnish
1275–1325; Middle English burnissh < Anglo-French burniss-, Middle French bruniss- (long stem of burnir, brunir to darken, polish), equivalent to brun- brown + -iss- -ish 2
Explanation
That seductive gleam on that Porsche behind the dealer's window? It's called a burnish, a gloss only achieved by loads of polishing. Likewise, you can burnish a resume by polishing it until it's perfect. A caution about usage: burnish in the physical sense is usually reserved for inanimate objects, not people — you usually wouldn't say that someone's appearance is "burnished to perfection" or that your freshly scrubbed face is burnished. But you could burnish a car, a suit of armor, or a copper kettle. Reputations are among the most common non-physical things to be burnished.
Vocabulary lists containing burnish
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The Scarlet Letter
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Vocabulary from the Introduction to "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Veteran Hollywood director Woody Allen is shooting his latest film on the streets of Madrid as the Spanish capital seeks to burnish its status as a global cinema hub.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
Each is interviewed separately, looking directly at us to burnish the intimacy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
A celebrated army soprano and national household name, Peng helped burnish Xi’s public profile as he reached the pinnacle of power in late 2012.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
The event is also an opportunity for Canada to burnish its reputation as a good place to do business after years of lagging investment performance.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
It’s a glorious evening, warm but not too close, the sun starting its lazy descent, shadows lengthening and the light just beginning to burnish the trees with gold.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
A trade deal would be a huge relief but even without that, a US presidential visit after nearly a decade burnishes Xi's message – that China is open for business and to the world.
From BBC ● May 12, 2026
Having the participation of artists such as Kesha, Zedd, and Deadmaus further burnishes its music cred and dangles other lures for viewers to grab onto, even those who aren't kids and don't have them.
From Salon ● May 10, 2023
Brazil has approved the cultivation and sale of drought-tolerant genetically modified wheat, a major boost for the once taboo crop as global food supply fears and regional dry weather burnishes the lure of GMO.
From Reuters ● Mar. 4, 2023
The persistent lie that he hadn’t been to the kennels that night burnishes the state’s case, given irrefutable evidence that he was, in fact, there.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 25, 2023
I like to see your hair when the sun burnishes it.”
From Frances of the Ranges The Old Ranchman's Treasure by Amy Bell Marlowe
The program identifies its cast of 15 as “Mother,” “Offspring,” “Community” and “Fledglings,” all costumed by Viktor&Rolf in mostly glossy unitards that range from hues of burnished gold to polished bronze.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
A roast chicken can be imagined burnished and fragrant, surrounded by little potatoes, perhaps with thyme involved.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
They broke into cheers and applause, cheered again when the eclipse ended, and once more an hour later when the sun set, a burnished ocher illuminating Léon’s cathedral.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Jones manages his superb cast with aplomb and cinematographer Wyatt Garfield evocatively captures lower Manhattan’s wintry, burnished glow.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Sansa had never seen such armor; all burnished red steel, inlaid with golden scrollwork and ornamentation.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
He lost the use of his right hand after a bombing in 1981, burnishing his credentials as a Shia revolutionary who has known sacrifice.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
And all were endorsed by Zohran Mamdani, the city’s Democratic Socialist mayor, burnishing his kingmaker bona fides.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
He understood the role of the press in communicating the Fed’s thinking and in burnishing his reputation.
From Barron's ● Feb. 27, 2026
But by not insisting on cabinet positions in return for their votes in parliament, the People's Party allowed Anutin to fill his cabinet with capable technocrats, burnishing his credentials as a can-do leader.
From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2026
The light shifted during the afternoon and cascaded through the clean windows, burnishing the room with gold.
From "The Marvels" by Brian Selznick
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
