Polishes — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈpä-lish/ (verb) /ˈa-pəl-ˌpä-lish/ (verb) pol·ish

Meaning & Definition of Polishes

Polishes (verb)

  1. to make smooth and glossy usually by friction, burnish
  2. to smooth, soften, or refine in manners or condition
  3. to bring to a highly developed, finished, or refined state, perfect
  4. to attempt to ingratiate oneself, toady
  5. to curry favor with (as by flattery)
  6. to finish off or dispose of rapidly or completely

Polishes (noun)

  1. a smooth glossy surface, luster
  2. freedom from rudeness or coarseness, culture
  3. a state of high development or refinement
  4. the Slavic language of the Poles
  5. extreme attention to cleanliness, orderliness, smartness of appearance, and ceremony often at the expense of operational efficiency

Polishes (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure

    "you'll need to polish your shoes with a clean rag before the performance"

    similar: buffs, burnishes, dresses, furbishes, glosses, grinds, rubs, shines, smoothens, smooths
    related: sleeks, slicks, coats, glazes, japans, lacquers, varnishes, faces, finishes, veneers, brightens, files, rasps, sandblasts, sandpapers, sands, scours, scrapes, scrubs, bobs, bones, laps
    near: roughens, roughs (up), ruffles, scuffs (up)

  2. to bring (something) to a state where nothing remains to be done

    "once you polish the article a bit, it'll be ready to submit"

    similar: completes, consummates, finalizes, finishes, perfects, gets through
    related: follows through (with), sticks out, accomplishes, achieves, effects, carries out, carries through, discharges, does, executes, fulfills, performs, ameliorates, amends, betters, enhances, enriches, improves, meliorates, machines, refines, rounds (off or out), shines, touches up
    near: abandons, deserts, discontinues, drops, forsakes, quits

Related Entry: Polish (noun)

Polish is a different word from Polishes. The synonyms below are for polish, not for polishes.

  1. a high level of taste and enlightenment as a result of extensive intellectual training and exposure to the arts

    "acquired a great deal of polish during his year abroad"

    similar: accomplishment, civilization, couth, cultivation, culture, refinement
    related: education, erudition, intellectualism, intellectuality, knowledge, learning, literacy, scholarship, cosmopolitanism, sophistication, urbanity, breeding, genteelness, gentility, manners, class, elegance, grace, taste, civility, courteousness, courtesy, politeness
    opposite: barbarianism, barbarism, philistinism
    near: ignorance, illiteracy, parochialism, provincialism, rusticity, unsophistication, boorishness, churlishness, clownishness, coarseness, crudeness, vulgarity

  2. brightness created by light reflected from a surface

    "buffed the silver plate to a high polish"

    similar: burnish, gloss, luminance, luster, sheen, shine
    related: glare, gleam, glimmer, glint, glisten, glow, shimmer, blink, flicker, sparkle, twinkle, illumination, irradiation, iridescence, luminescence, brilliance, luminosity, radiance, radiancy, refulgence, finish, glaze
    near: dimness, dinginess, dirtiness, drabness, dullness, flatness, grayness, paleness, cloudiness, gloom, murkiness, obscureness, obscurity, somberness

Related Entry: Polish (verb)

Polish is a different word from Polishes. The synonyms below are for polish, not for polishes.

  1. to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure

    "you'll need to polish your shoes with a clean rag before the performance"

    similar: buff, burnish, dress, furbish, gloss, grind, rub, shine, smooth, smoothen
    related: sleek, slick, coat, glaze, japan, lacquer, varnish, face, finish, veneer, brighten, file, rasp, sand, sandblast, sandpaper, scour, scrape, scrub, bob, bone, lap
    near: rough (up), roughen, ruffle, scuff (up)

  2. to bring (something) to a state where nothing remains to be done

    "once you polish the article a bit, it'll be ready to submit"

    similar: complete, consummate, finalize, finish, perfect, get through
    related: follow through (with), stick out, accomplish, achieve, effect, carry out, carry through, discharge, do, execute, fulfill, perform, ameliorate, amend, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, machine, refine, round (off or out), shine, touch up
    near: abandon, desert, discontinue, drop, forsake, quit

Related Entry: Polishes off (verb)

Polishes off is a different word from Polishes. The synonyms below are for polishes off, not for polishes.

  1. as in finishes, dispatches

    similar: dispatches, finishes, chews, gnaws (at or on), laps, licks, munches, nibbles (on), pecks (at), ruminates, gorges, scarfs, scoffs, wolfs, consumes, eats, mouths (down), puts away, sups, bolts, devours, gobbles (up or down), gulps, ingurgitates, drinks, guzzles, imbibes, knocks back, sips, downs, gets down, ingests, swallows

Related Entry: Apple-polishes (verb)

Apple-polishes is a different word from Polishes. The synonyms below are for apple-polishes, not for polishes.

  1. to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior

    "a departmental supervisor who apple-polishes shamelessly whenever higher-ups are about"

    similar: bootlicks, fawns, fusses, kowtows, sucks (up), toadies, truckles, curries favor, kisses up to
    related: drools, gushes, slavers, slobbers, endears, ingratiates, courts, woos, adulates, idolizes, worships, blandishes, cajoles, coaxes, flatters, overpraises, soft-soaps, cowers, cringes, grovels, abases, debases, demeans, defers, submits, yields
    near: despises, disdains, scorns, gibes, jeers, scoffs, braves, challenges, defies

Related Entry: Apple-polish (verb)

Apple-polish is a different word from Polishes. The synonyms below are for apple-polish, not for polishes.

  1. to use flattery or the doing of favors in order to win approval especially from a superior

    "a departmental supervisor who apple-polishes shamelessly whenever higher-ups are about"

    similar: bootlick, fawn, fuss, kowtow, suck (up), toady, truckle, curry favor, kiss up to
    related: drool, gush, slaver, slobber, endear, ingratiate, court, woo, adulate, idolize, worship, blandish, cajole, coax, flatter, overpraise, soft-soap, cower, cringe, grovel, abase, debase, demean, defer, submit, yield
    near: despise, disdain, scorn, gibe, jeer, scoff, brave, challenge, defy

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Polishes

The most common words with a similar meaning to Polishes:

buffs, burnishes, dresses, furbishes, glosses, grinds, rubs, shines, smoothens, smooths, completes, consummates, finalizes, finishes, perfects, gets through

Related Words for Polishes

sleeks, slicks, coats, glazes, japans, lacquers, varnishes, faces, veneers, brightens, files, rasps, sandblasts, sandpapers, sands, scours, scrapes, scrubs, bobs, bones, laps, follows through (with), sticks out, accomplishes, achieves, effects, carries out, carries through, discharges, does

Near Antonyms of Polishes

roughens, roughs (up), ruffles, scuffs (up), abandons, deserts, discontinues, drops, forsakes, quits

Word Forms of Polishes

Inflections: polished, polishing, apple-polished, apple-polishing, apple-polishes, polished off, polishing off, polishes off

Derived words: polisher (noun), apple-polisher (noun), spit-and-polish (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Polishes

Middle English polisshen, from Anglo-French poliss-, stem of polir, from Latin polire

First known use: 14th centuryt

Frequently Asked Questions about Polishes

What does "Polishes" mean?

"Polishes" means to make smooth and glossy usually by friction, burnish. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to make smooth and glossy usually by friction, burnish. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Polishes"?

Other words for "Polishes" include buffs, burnishes, dresses, furbishes, glosses, grinds, rubs and shines. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Polishes" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Polishes"?

There are 60 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Polishes". Common alternatives include buffs, burnishes, dresses, furbishes, glosses, grinds, rubs, shines, smoothens and smooths.

How do you use "Polishes" in a sentence?

Examples of "Polishes" in a sentence: "you'll need to polish your shoes with a clean rag before the performance"; "once you polish the article a bit, it'll be ready to submit".

Is "Polishes" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Polishes" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Polishes"?

"Polishes" is pronounced /ˈpä-lish/ as a verb and /ˈa-pəl-ˌpä-lish/ as a verb and divided into syllables as pol·ish.

What is the origin of the word "Polishes"?

"Polishes" comes from Middle English polisshen, from Anglo-French poliss-, stem of polir, from Latin polire. First known use: 14th centuryt.

What is another word for "Polishes" meaning "to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure"?

When "Polishes" (verb) means to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure, synonyms include buffs, burnishes, dresses, furbishes, glosses and grinds.