polished 1 of 2

adjective

ˈpä-lisht How to pronounce polished (audio)
Definition of polishednext
1
as in sleek
having a shiny surface or finish she could see her face reflected in the polished hood of the car

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cultured
having or showing a taste for the fine arts and gracious living showing the polished manners of a cosmopolitan woman

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

polished

2 of 2

verb

past tense of polish
1
as in smoothed
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

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2
as in finished
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

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of polished
Adjective
And located just across the street from Archway, Suraya is a polished all-day café and Lebanese restaurant. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026 Minervini, a polished and skilled host, did good work in the Marlins studio for a quarter century. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 12 Oct. 2026
Verb
The sculptures with images are polished in the center, creating mirrors that open up the space, resting on the floor and on the wall. — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 18 Sep. 2026 It’s designed with a flexible, supportive jelly strip and wide sides provide a smooth, bulge-free coverage that looks polished under T-shirts. — Jacqueline Tempera, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for polished
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polished
  1. sleek
  2. cultured
  3. smoothed
  4. finished
  5. glossy
  6. civilized
  7. rubbed
  8. completed
Adjective
  • Keep the accessories sleek and minimal with a structured bag and barely-there flats.
    — Christina Holevas, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Featuring a sleek black column skirt and minimalist stilettos, the look, while pared-back, was far from boring thanks to a creamy sleeveless top with a voluminous feather-like hem.
    — Bianca Betancourt, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of sleek
Adjective
  • Too obviously the gift of someone trying to seem casually cultured?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
  • As the war wound down, Olivier was becoming more obsessed with directing, often counting on Leigh as his cultured, measured adviser.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of cultured
Verb
  • The ice has been smoothed, the lines are painted, and the teeth are … barely there.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Facilities that once smoothed a few weeks of timing now sometimes carry a portfolio for months, occasionally across an entire fundraising cycle.
    — Peter Doyle, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of smoothed
Verb
  • With the vendors already finished, a last-minute review revealed a sweat stain under Spider-Man’s arm.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
  • He wasn’t finished, despite Prince Yadav sending back Hetmyer for 33, while Rovman Powell scored 24.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of finished
Adjective
  • The face is a glossy black plastic with the exterior lenses slightly protruding, keeping the front from looking like a single flat surface.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Sézane’s Bridget grounds the silhouette in glossy black leather, with a streamlined knee-high construction that works particularly well against oversized tailoring and fluid skirts.
    — Camila Quimper, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of glossy
Adjective
  • Aaron Turpen / New Atlas The next big surprise is how civilized the Charger has become.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
  • On pavement, the 4Runner was comfortable and surprisingly civilized considering the serious off-road hardware underneath it.
    — Denver Post, Denver Post, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of civilized
Verb
  • The reaction from Chiefs Kingdom rubbed a former player the wrong way.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026
  • If your mane felt a little fried, a few drops rubbed through the ends would suffice for a quick fix.
    — Valeriya Chupinina, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of rubbed
Verb
  • Bend police officers completed active threat training at a local high school two months ago.
    — Phil Helsel, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Construction was completed in 2014, but the bridge remained unused for years because connecting roads and border facilities on the North Korean side were unfinished.
    — Gage Goulding, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of completed

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polished
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Cite this Entry

“Polished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polished. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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