burnish

American  

[bur-nish] / ˈbɜr nɪʃ /

verb (used with object)

• burnishes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• burnished,
  past participle,  past
• burnishing
  present participle

1. 

   to polish (a surface) by friction.

   Synonyms:

   shine, buff

2. to make smooth and bright.

3. Engraving. to flatten and enlarge the dots of (a halftone) by rubbing with a tool.

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noun

1. gloss; brightness; luster.

   the burnish of brass andirons.

burnish British  

/ ˈbɜːnɪʃ /

verb

1. to make or become shiny or smooth by friction; polish

---

noun

1. a shiny finish; lustre

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• burnisher
  noun
• burnishment
  noun
• burnishable
  adjective
• unburnished
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• burnishing
  present
• burnished
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• burnish
  simple
• burnishes
  simple
• have burnished
  perfect
• has burnished
  perfect
• am burnishing
  progressive
• are burnishing
  progressive
• is burnishing
  progressive
• have been burnishing
  perfect progressive
• has been burnishing
  perfect progressive

Past

• burnished
  simple
• had burnished
  perfect
• was burnishing
  progressive
• were burnishing
  progressive
• had been burnishing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will burnish
  simple
• will have burnished
  perfect
• will be burnishing
  progressive
• will have been burnishing
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

burnish burnishes burnished burnishing

“It’s terrible that a man has lost his life, I think, because others were so keen on having him burnish their credentials,” said James Cleverly, a former U.K. foreign secretary who is Black.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Again, they know that they can burnish their reputation, maybe get an appointment at a better law school, right?

From Slate ● Aug. 16, 2026

These certifications might help a job-seeker burnish their skills and stand out.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026

For Macron, the summit will be one of his last chances to burnish his international standing and promote his cherished idea of European strategic autonomy before he leaves office next year.

From Barron's ● Jun. 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

Hiring former clerks burnishes the firms’ prestige, making them more attractive to clients.

From New York Times ● Sep. 21, 2020

Here and there one more diligent burnishes his arms, and another grooms his horse.

From Life of Schamyl And Narrative of the Circassian War of Independence Against Russia by John Milton Mackie

In Sabina Hahn’s spare, watercolor illustrations, the pickle is a burnished emerald green with round eyes and no mouth—which makes it all the more remarkable when it begins to speak.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

He may have lost some mainstream acceptance and his FX series, but has since lined his bank account and burnished his career quite handsomely.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026

Initial public euphoria over Pakistan's image being burnished on the global stage has begun to give way to fraying patience after weeks of stop-start restrictions around Islamabad.

From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026

LOS ANGELES—State Farm has burnished its reputation as the country’s largest home and auto insurer with its “good neighbor” slogan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 2, 2026

In April a livelier iris gleamed upon the burnished dove.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

And all were endorsed by Zohran Mamdani, the city’s Democratic Socialist mayor, burnishing his kingmaker bona fides.

From Slate ● Jun. 24, 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

He rose through the ranks, burnishing his credentials by leading a campaign battling an ethnic rebel insurrection around crucial trade crossings with China.

From Barron's ● Dec. 23, 2025

Shares in Gucci-owner Kering gained more ground Thursday after sales at the fashion house beat expectations in the most recent quarter, lifting revenue at the parent group and burnishing hopes of a sustained turnaround.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2025

I stood at the window to admire the sunlight slanting over the golf course, and burnishing the bare trees on the distant hills.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan