The meaning of TARNISH is to dull or destroy the luster of by or as if by air, dust, or dirt : soil, stain. How to use tarnish in a sentence.

to grow dull or discolored; lose luster. to become sullied. a tarnished coating. tarnished condition; discoloration; alteration of the luster of a metal. a stain or blemish.

1. To lose luster; become discolored: a metal that tarnishes quickly. 2. To become less enjoyable or estimable: Her admiration for the movie's producer quickly tarnished.

TARNISHED meaning: 1. If metal is tarnished it has become less bright or a different colour: 2. made to seem less…. Learn more.

Definition of tarnish verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

If you say that something tarnishes someone's reputation or image, you mean that it causes people to have a worse opinion of them than they would otherwise have had. The affair could tarnish the …

Apr 30, 2025 · What Does 'Tarnished' Mean? Tarnished is an adjective and sometimes a verb in its past tense, originating from the noun tarnish. It primarily describes something that has lost its shine or …

Some foods will tarnish silver. His actions tarnished [= sullied] the family's good name. The scandal tarnished his reputation.

Jul 19, 2025 · (figurative, by extension, of one's reputation, name or word) Sullied or dishonored.

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 …