Dictionary

tarnish en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈtɑɹnɪʃ/ (General-American)
• /ˈtɑːnɪʃ/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English ternysshen, from Old French terniss-, stem of ternir (“to make dim, make wan”), borrowed from Old High German *ternen, tarnen, from Proto-West Germanic *darnijan (“to conceal”). Doublet of dern and darn.

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) Oxidation or discoloration, especially of a decorative metal exposed to air.
   • 1918, Hannah Teresa Rowley, Mrs. Helen Louise (Wales) Farrell, Principles of Chemistry Applied to the Household Precipitated calcium carbonate, a very fine powdery form, is used as a basis for many tooth powders and pastes. As whiting it finds a wide use in cleaning metals of their tarnishes.
   • Limiting the use of silver to special occasions might invite tarnish unless the pieces are carefully protected. 1987 July 30, Joseph Deitch, “Removing Tarnish From Silverware”, in The New York Times:

Forms

Translations (12)

pt oxidação (oxidation or discoloration, especially of a decorative metal exposed to air) · fi tummentuma (oxidation or discoloration, especially of a decorative metal exposed to air) · bg потъмняване (oxidation or discoloration, especially of a decorative metal exposed to air) · fi hapettuma (oxidation or discoloration, especially of a decorative metal exposed to air) · ota پاس (oxidation or discoloration, especially of a decorative metal exposed to air) · de Beschlagen (oxidation or discoloration, especially of a decorative metal exposed to air) · ru потускне́ние (oxidation or discoloration, especially of a decorative metal exposed to air) · ru окисле́ние (oxidation or discoloration, especially of a decorative metal exposed to air) · de Mattieren (oxidation or discoloration, especially of a decorative metal exposed to air) · pl zaśniedzenie (oxidation or discoloration, especially of a decorative metal exposed to air) · de Anlaufen (oxidation or discoloration, especially of a decorative metal exposed to air) · ota چرك (oxidation or discoloration, especially of a decorative metal exposed to air)

tarnish en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈtɑɹnɪʃ/ (General-American)
• /ˈtɑːnɪʃ/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English ternysshen, from Old French terniss-, stem of ternir (“to make dim, make wan”), borrowed from Old High German *ternen, tarnen, from Proto-West Germanic *darnijan (“to conceal”). Doublet of dern and darn.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To oxidize or discolor due to oxidation.
   • Careful storage of silver will prevent it from tarnishing.
2. (transitive) To compromise, damage, soil, or sully.
   • The greed that many players show tarnishes the game. 1991 April 7, “Players' Greed Tarnishes Game”, in The New York Times:
   • There are normally anti-embarrassment clauses in such arrangements and, from a corporate social responsibility point of view, the upside of standing by a tarnished individual is often outweighed by the downside. 2022 March 11, David Hytner, “Chelsea are in crisis but there is no will to leave club on their knees”, in The Guardian:
   • I have next shown you the Greeks, and " the wisdom" of their philosophy, often travesting, sometimes tarnishing the Christian religion : […] 1839, Alexander Kinmont, “Lecture the Eighth; On the Unity in Variety of the Human Race”, in Twelve Lectures on the Natural History of Man, and the Rise and Progress of Philosophy, Cincinnati: U. P. James, page 232:
   • He is afraid that she will tarnish his reputation if he disagrees with her.
3. (figuratively, intransitive) To lose its lustre or attraction; to become dull.
   • Till thy freſh Glories, vvhich novv ſhine ſo bright, / Grovv Stale and Tarniſh vvith our daily ſight. 1681, [John Dryden], Absalom and Achitophel. A Poem, London: […] J[acob] T[onson] and are to be sold by W. Davis […], →OCLC, page 8:
4. To use a sign, image, expression, etc. sufficiently close to a trademarked one that it brings disrepute to it.

Forms

Deriveds

nontarnishing · nontarnish · tarnishment · tarnishable · tarnisher · tarnishproof · antitarnish

Synonyms

diss · dirty · leaden · smirch · chat shit · stab · contaminate · smirch · slur · befoul · dirten · foil · blot · speak ill of · beshit · clat · besmear · tarnish · chat shite · asperse · uggle · tarnish · besmirch · disgrace · scandal · defame · befoul · beclart · imbrue (especially with blood) · torch · vilify · sully · revile · besmirch · calumny · blot · smear · bedaub · assassinate · soss · reproach · smutch · dull · bewray · sully · slander · forgab · gunk · soil · bewray · wrong · vilipend · spot · shit-talk · talk shite · befile · cloud · file · besully · blemish · oxidate · discredit · drag through the mud · unflatter · monsterize · inquinate · libel · traduce · defile · befilth · talk shit · sowl · dullen · disparage · slag · stain · deprave · blacken · sullow · belibel · muddy · backbite · detract · sling mud · oxygenize · infamize · pall · befoul · bedizen · besmear · gunk up · inquinate · talk trash · spatter · slotter · trash-talk · lampoon · denigrate · depreciate · foul · malign · blame · calumniate · elt · stain · darken · dirty · bedirty · denigrate · blur · smear · beray · demonize · blacken · foul · smut · scunge · spot · blur · smudge · forspeak · badmouth · blaze · assoil · disrepute · begrime · blot · villainize

Translations (38)

bg потъмнявам (to oxidize or discolor due to oxidation) · fi liata (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · it infamare (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · pl zaśniedzieć (to oxidize or discolor due to oxidation) · pt oxidar (to oxidize or discolor due to oxidation) · pt ofuscar (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · sk pošpiniť (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · fi hapettua (to oxidize or discolor due to oxidation) · de matt werden (to oxidize or discolor due to oxidation) · ota چامورلامق (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · sk poškodzovať (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · pl zbrukać (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · it disonorare (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · sv fläcka (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · ru пятна́ть (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · fr ternir (to oxidize or discolor due to oxidation) · pt manchar (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · fi tahria (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · ru поро́чить (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · de beschmutzen (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · sv skamfila (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · sv skada (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · el αμαυρώνω (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · sk poškodiť (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · ru де́лать ту́склым (to oxidize or discolor due to oxidation) · pl śniedzieć (to oxidize or discolor due to oxidation) · az batırmaq (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · de beschlagen (to oxidize or discolor due to oxidation) · sk špiniť (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · de beeinträchtigen (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · sv besudla (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · de trüben (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · ru тускне́ть (to oxidize or discolor due to oxidation) · pl brukać (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · de besudeln (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully) · de anlaufen (to oxidize or discolor due to oxidation) · fi tummua (to oxidize or discolor due to oxidation) · de beflecken (to compromise, damage, soil, or sully)