polish
verb (used with object)
to make smooth and glossy, especially by rubbing or friction.
polish
1 American
[pol-ish]
/ ˈpɒl ɪʃ /
verb (used with object)
-
polishes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
polished,
past participle, past
-
polishing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
polishes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
polished,
past participle, past
-
polishing
present participle
-
to become smooth and glossy through polishing.
a flooring that polishes easily.
-
Archaic. to become refined or elegant.
noun
-
polishes
plural
verb phrase
-
polish up to improve; refine.
She took lessons to polish up her speech.
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polish off
-
to finish or dispose of quickly.
They polished off a gallon of ice cream between them.
-
to subdue or get rid of someone.
The fighter polished off his opponent in the first round.
-
Polish
2
American
[poh-lish]
/ ˈpoʊ lɪʃ /
adjective
noun
polish
1
British
/ ˈpɒlɪʃ /
verb
-
to make or become smooth and shiny by rubbing, esp with wax or an abrasive
-
(tr) to make perfect or complete
-
to make or become elegant or refined
noun
-
a finish or gloss
-
the act of polishing or the condition of having been polished
-
a substance used to produce a smooth and shiny, often protective surface
-
elegance or refinement, esp in style, manner, etc
Polish
2
British
/ ˈpəʊlɪʃ /
adjective
noun
polish
Idioms
Synonym Usage
Polish, gloss, luster, sheen refer to a smooth, shining, or bright surface from which light is reflected. Polish suggests the smooth, bright reflection often produced by friction: rubbed to a high polish. Gloss suggests a superficial, hard smoothness characteristic of lacquered, varnished, or enameled surfaces: a gloss on oilcloth, on paper. Luster denotes the characteristic quality of the light reflected from the surfaces of certain materials (pearls, silk, wax, freshly cut metals, etc.): a pearly luster. Sheen, sometimes poetical, suggests a glistening brightness such as that reflected from the surface of silk or velvet, or from furniture oiled and hand-polished: a rich velvety sheen.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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anti-Polishnoun
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polishernoun
-
prepolishnoun
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repolishverb
-
depolishverb (used with object)
-
interpolishverb (used with object)
-
overpolishverb (used with object)
-
non-Polishadjective
-
polishableadjective
-
pre-Polishadjective
-
pro-Polishadjective
-
pseudo-Polishadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
polishsimple
-
polishessimple
-
have polishedperfect
-
has polishedperfect
-
am polishingprogressive
-
are polishingprogressive
-
is polishingprogressive
-
have been polishingperfect progressive
-
has been polishingperfect progressive
Past
-
polishedsimple
-
had polishedperfect
-
was polishingprogressive
-
were polishingprogressive
-
had been polishingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of polish1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English polishen, from Middle French poliss-, long stem of polir, from Latin polīre “to polish”; see -ish 2
Origin of Polish2
Explanation
When you polish something, you rub and buff it until it shines. You might need to polish your reading glasses from time to time. You might polish your wooden coffee table with a cloth or polish beach stones until they gleam. Polish is also a noun, meaning either the spray you use to shine up your furniture or the shininess itself: "The polish on that desk is unbelievable — I can almost see my reflection in it!" There is also a figurative kind of polish, a sort of elegance or clarity you might see in well-edited writing or a fashionable woman sliding into a taxi.
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:
Then bring AI back in, to review and polish what you have put together, and check over the final version yourself one last time before hitting submit.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
PCE is widely used in dry cleaning and can also be found in consumer products including arts and crafts adhesives, spot removers and stainless steel polish.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026
“There was no polish or anything,” Robinson said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
Gibson’s financial advice video reached nearly 500,000 views by ditching institutional polish for a casual bedroom setup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
He was trying desperately to cultivate a mustache on his upper lip and had filled in the empty areas with what looked like brown shoe polish.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Herzen had coined the term “patriotic syphilis” for the rally-around-the-flag propaganda campaign during the Polish campaign.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
From there Dart was unable to recover as Bouzkova safely saw out the rest of the match to reach the third round, where she will face Polish eighth seed Iga Swiatek.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
This has implications for investors, because stocks of Polish companies will be moved to different indexes — those seen as less risky for investors.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
Published by the video game division of Amazon, the game was developed jointly by US firm Crystal Dynamics and Polish studio Flying Wild Hog, both owned by the Swedish group Embracer.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
As we passed, a Polish friend dropped to her knees and made the sign of the Cross.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
In the jewellery workshop, quieter than the Royal Mint's coin-pressing halls where he used to work, 63-year-old John Powell carefully polishes a ring.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
One especially useful touch for travelers: the spa offers quick-drying traditional polishes, making it easier to get back to sightseeing without worrying about smudges.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
Commercial nail polishes were used to test additives for formula compatibility and electrical performance.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 26, 2026
The phrase is self-explanatory, but Ms. Farr is insistent, so in her reading the woman polishes silver “until it gleamed.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026
Mr. Kane puts on his glasses, takes them off, polishes them, puts them on, looks at the ceiling.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
With her layered hair and polished style, she looked the part of a suburban mom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
“The star will cure and will be polished on Friday for fans to enjoy,” Martinez said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Contestants might arrive determined to present a polished version of themselves, but after spending hours under pressure, their real personalities begin to emerge.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
It rattles against the hard edges of your brain until it gets polished and smooth.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
It seemed much too fancy to have in a house, and Ophie thought of the plain polished wood floor in Aunt Rose’s parlor.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
Under this law, employers are required to take steps to protect workers, such as providing protective respirators and using water to suppress dust, when employees are cutting, grinding or polishing slabs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Writing something is a bit like polishing rocks.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
If you want her to pay for the French polishing, you have an extra incentive to reopen this line of communication — and the wound.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026
My house chores included polishing my dad’s shoes and his 1956 Oldsmobile Super 88.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
“For Halloween, we should run up and down 181st and get candy at all the stores. That’d be so cool,” James says, polishing off his first burger.
From "Watch Us Rise" by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan
Definitions 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.
