tarnish
[tahr-nish]
- to dull the luster of (a metallic surface), especially by oxidation; discolor.
- to diminish or destroy the purity of; stain; sully: The scandal tarnished his reputation.
Show More
- to grow dull or discolored; lose luster.
- to become sullied.
Show More
- a tarnished coating.
- tarnished condition; discoloration; alteration of the luster of a metal.
- a stain or blemish.
Show More
Origin of tarnish
1590–1600; < Middle French terniss-, long stem of ternir to dull, deaden, derivative of terne dull, wan < Germanic; compare Old High German tarni, cognate with Old Saxon derni, Old English dierne hidden, obscure; see -ish2
Synonyms
See more synonyms for tarnish on Thesaurus.com2. taint, blemish, soil.
Antonyms
1. brighten.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for tarnish
Contemporary Examples
He said Iran pays lobbyists in Washington to discredit reports by Iranian exiles and tarnish their image.
White House Debunks Iran Nuclear Explosion, But Iran Denies Planting StoryDan Ephron
January 29, 2013
In response, Netanyahu said Olmert was trying to tarnish his administration ahead of parliamentary elections next week.
And using charges themselves false in order to tarnish his reputation?
Banville may tarnish his hero a bit, particularly by tormenting him with alcohol.
Historical Examples
The moment anybody peers at you you show a tarnish, and get put off.
Love and LucyMaurice Henry Hewlett
Was there not gold enough in his hair before, that he should tarnish it with this crown?
VeraOscar Wilde
So many of us tarnish our victories by the manner in which we display them.
My Daily Meditation for the Circling YearJohn Henry Jowett
Though the drops were salt, they would not tarnish the gold.
The Maidens' LodgeEmily Sarah Holt
No one is trying to tarnish this person; no one has thought of it.
The $30,000 Bequest and Other StoriesMark Twain
tarnish
- to lose or cause to lose the shine, esp by exposure to air or moisture resulting in surface oxidation; discoloursilver tarnishes quickly
- to stain or become stained; taint or spoila fraud that tarnished his reputation
Show More
- a tarnished condition, surface, or film
Show More
Word Origin
C16: from Old French ternir to make dull, from terne lustreless, of Germanic origin; related to Old High German tarnen to conceal, Old English dierne hidden
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for tarnish
v.
1590s, from present participle stem of Middle French ternir "dull the luster or brightness of, make dim" (15c.), probably from Old French terne (adj.) "dull, dark," from a Germanic source cognate with Old High German tarnjan "to conceal, hide," Old English dyrnan "to hide, darken," from Proto-Germanic *darnjaz (see dern). Figurative sense is from 1690s. Related: Tarnished; tarnishing.
Show More
n.
1713, from tarnish (v.).
Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper