tarnish
Americanverb (used with object)
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tarnishes,
present (3rd person singular)
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tarnished,
past participle, past
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tarnishing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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tarnishes,
present (3rd person singular)
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tarnished,
past participle, past
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tarnishing
present participle
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to grow dull or discolored; lose luster.
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to become sullied.
noun
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a tarnished coating.
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tarnished condition; discoloration; alteration of the luster of a metal.
-
a stain or blemish.
verb
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to lose or cause to lose the shine, esp by exposure to air or moisture resulting in surface oxidation; discolour
silver tarnishes quickly
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to stain or become stained; taint or spoil
a fraud that tarnished his reputation
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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tarnishernoun
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antitarnishadjective
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antitarnishingadjective
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nontarnishableadjective
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nontarnishedadjective
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nontarnishingadjective
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tarnishableadjective
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untarnishableadjective
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untarnishedadjective
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untarnishingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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tarnishsimple
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tarnishessimple
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have tarnishedperfect
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has tarnishedperfect
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am tarnishingprogressive
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are tarnishingprogressive
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is tarnishingprogressive
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have been tarnishingperfect progressive
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has been tarnishingperfect progressive
Past
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tarnishedsimple
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had tarnishedperfect
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was tarnishingprogressive
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were tarnishingprogressive
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had been tarnishingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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 -ish 2
Explanation
To tarnish is to become dull or discolored. Silver tends to tarnish easily, which is why your mother is always having you polish the family silver. As a noun, a tarnish is the dull layer of corrosion that sometimes forms on metal items, usually the result of the metal reacting to oxygen in the air. Metals are most likely to tarnish, but so can anything that once felt sparkly and bright but has lost its luster — even you. If the new kid just beat you in chess, your reputation as the best chess player in your class has started to tarnish. Better not lose again!
Vocabulary lists containing tarnish
List 3
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Chains
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Auggie & Me
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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:
"People have generally thought gold doesn't tarnish simply because it doesn't interact strongly with oxygen," said Matthew Montemore, associate professor in Chemical Engineering in Tulane's School of Science and Engineering.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
He did, however, temporarily tarnish his standing with his infamous "thrown under the bus" outburst at Elland Road after he was left on the bench at Leeds United in December.
From BBC ● May 30, 2026
It said the total area corresponded to "only 0.18 percent of Turkey's surface area", denouncing efforts to "tarnish the mining sector".
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
Holt—who is set to graduate next month and attend graduate school at Boston University—worries Hampshire’s closure might tarnish her academic record in the eyes of employers and others.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
I pull out my pendant and rub it on my clothes to clean off the tarnish, but it leaves black streaks.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
"Dubai was often talked about a bit like Switzerland, so this inevitably tarnishes that image."
From Barron's ● Mar. 1, 2026
“House of Diggs” is unsparing in its portrait of the corruption that tarnishes its subject’s memory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2025
Their lawyers have said the case “alleges criminality where none exists and unfairly tarnishes the reputations of well-respected professionals,” per the Associated Press.
From Salon ● Feb. 21, 2024
Eviction tarnishes a tenant’s record and makes it harder to find a new apartment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2023
The fair buildings were complete and all exhibits were in place, but just as surely as silver tarnishes, the fair became subject to the inevitable forces of degradation and decline—and tragedy.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Rights groups and election observer missions have said the post-election dispute has tarnished Zambia's democratic reputation.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
I asked him if he’d seen the post Eatherly had made prior to the shooting about how his child’s mother wants to change her son’s surname because of how Chud had tarnished it.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
And once tarnished, a brand rarely fully recovers.
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026
Air India, a loss-making airline belonging to the Tata Group, can ill-afford to see its brand tarnished.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
Even on the bus ride home, she’s still worried that her perfect record is tarnished.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
Now, researchers at Tulane University have uncovered an important reason why the precious metal remains so resistant to tarnishing.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
As the debate drags out, the publicity is tarnishing Club Med’s eco-credentials and could make it increasingly hard to sell the resort, which will also offer safaris, as a dream destination to potential guests.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
She took down the post after union veterans accused her of tarnishing the movement, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026
Subtle localization—without tarnishing the brands’ global image—has been central to recent success, analysts told Barron’s.
From Barron's ● Mar. 7, 2026
But there was nothing there but what had always been there: empty ocean the color of pewter, tarnishing to black now as night fell.
From "Son" by Lois Lowry
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.
