Tarnished — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun adjective /ˈtär-nish/ tar·nish

Meaning & Definition of Tarnished

Tarnished (verb)

  1. to dull or destroy the luster of by or as if by air, dust, or dirt, soil, stain
  2. to detract from the good quality of, vitiate
  3. to bring disgrace on, sully

Tarnished (noun)

  1. a common hemipterous brownish bug (Lygus lineolaris) of eastern North America that causes injury to plants especially by sucking sap from buds, leaves, and fruits

Tarnished (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in unpolished

    similar: unpolished, dim, dull, dulled, flat, lusterless, matte, cloudy, dingy, dirty, drab, lackluster, mousy, muddy, gray, leaden, pale, palish, black, dark, darkened, darkish, dimmed, dusky, gloomy, murky, obscure, obscured, pitch-black, pitch-dark, somber, stygian, tenebrific, tenebrous
    opposite: glossy, lustrous, shiny, sleek, buffed, burnished, glazed, lacquered, polished, rubbed, shellacked, varnished, satin, satiny, silken, silky, slick, slippery, gemmy, gleaming, glimmering, glinting, glistening, glittering, scintillating, shimmering, shining, sparkling, twinkling, beaming, bedazzling, bright, brightened, brilliant, candescent, dazzling, effulgent, fulgent, glowing, incandescent, lambent, lucent, lucid, luminous, radiant, refulgent, resplendent

Tarnished (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable

    "a false accusation that nonetheless tarnished her reputation"

    similar: blemished, darkened, marred, poisoned, spoiled, stained, tainted, touched, vitiated
    related: begrimed, besmeared, besmirched, blackened, blurred, clouded, dirtied, discolored, polluted, smeared, smirched, smudged, smutted, soiled, sullied, tarred, abased, cheapened, debased, degraded, demeaned, discredited, disgraced, dishonored, fouled, lowered, sank, shamed, bastardized, corrupted, debauched, demoralized, depraved, perverted, subverted, colored, distorted, twisted
    near: cleansed, purified, dignified, elevated, ennobled, enshrined, glorified, hallowed, magnified, uplifted

Related Entry: Tarnish (verb)

Tarnish is a different word from Tarnished. The synonyms below are for tarnish, not for tarnished.

  1. to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable

    "a false accusation that nonetheless tarnished her reputation"

    similar: blemish, darken, mar, poison, spoil, stain, taint, touch, vitiate
    related: begrime, besmear, besmirch, blacken, blur, cloud, dirty, discolor, pollute, smear, smirch, smudge, smut, soil, sully, tar, abase, cheapen, debase, degrade, demean, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, foul, lower, shame, sink, bastardize, corrupt, debauch, demoralize, deprave, pervert, subvert, color, distort, twist
    near: cleanse, purify, dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, glorify, hallow, magnify, uplift

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Tarnished

The most common words with a similar meaning to Tarnished:

unpolished, dim, dull, dulled, flat, lusterless, matte, cloudy, dingy, dirty, drab, lackluster, mousy, muddy, gray, leaden, pale, palish, black, dark, darkened, darkish, dimmed, dusky, gloomy, murky, obscure, obscured, pitch-black, pitch-dark, somber, stygian, tenebrific, tenebrous, blemished, marred, poisoned, spoiled, stained, tainted

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Tarnished

Words with the opposite meaning of Tarnished:

glossy, lustrous, shiny, sleek, buffed, burnished, glazed, lacquered, polished, rubbed, shellacked, varnished, satin, satiny, silken, silky, slick, slippery, gemmy, gleaming, glimmering, glinting, glistening, glittering, scintillating, shimmering, shining, sparkling, twinkling, beaming

Related Words for Tarnished

begrimed, besmeared, besmirched, blackened, blurred, clouded, dirtied, discolored, polluted, smeared, smirched, smudged, smutted, soiled, sullied, tarred, abased, cheapened, debased, degraded, demeaned, discredited, disgraced, dishonored, fouled, lowered, sank, shamed, bastardized, corrupted

Near Antonyms of Tarnished

cleansed, purified, dignified, elevated, ennobled, enshrined, glorified, hallowed, magnified, uplifted

Word Forms of Tarnished

Inflections: tarnishing, tarnishes

Derived words: tarnishable (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Tarnished

Middle English ternysshen, from Middle French terniss-, stem of ternir, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German tarnan to hide

First known use: 15th centuryt

Words & Phrases Containing Tarnished

tarnished plant bug

Frequently Asked Questions about Tarnished

What does "Tarnished" mean?

"Tarnished" means to dull or destroy the luster of by or as if by air, dust, or dirt, soil, stain. As an a verb, a noun and an adjective, it is defined as: to dull or destroy the luster of by or as if by air, dust, or dirt, soil, stain. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Tarnished"?

Other words for "Tarnished" include unpolished, dim, dull, dulled, flat, lusterless, matte and cloudy. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Tarnished" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Tarnished"?

There are 80 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Tarnished". Common alternatives include unpolished, dim, dull, dulled, flat, lusterless, matte, cloudy, dingy and dirty.

What is the opposite of "Tarnished"?

Antonyms of "Tarnished" include glossy, lustrous, shiny, sleek, buffed, burnished, glazed and lacquered. Near antonyms include cleansed, purified, dignified and elevated.

How do you use "Tarnished" in a sentence?

Examples of "Tarnished" in a sentence: "a false accusation that nonetheless tarnished her reputation".

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

"Tarnished" can be used as a verb, a noun and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Tarnished"?

"Tarnished" is pronounced /ˈtär-nish/ and divided into syllables as tar·nish.

What is the origin of the word "Tarnished"?

"Tarnished" comes from Middle English ternysshen, from Middle French terniss-, stem of ternir, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German tarnan to hide. First known use: 15th centuryt.