TARNISHED Synonyms: 144 Similar and Opposite Words

tarnished 1 of 2

adjective

as in unpolished

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Dissimilar Words

tarnished

2 of 2

verb

past tense of tarnish

as in marred

to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable a false accusation that nonetheless tarnished her reputation

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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 tarnished

Adjective

Silver itself can’t be permanently tarnished since tarnish is not corrosive and can be removed. — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2026 Taking shots at the left is one way that Democrats are trying to distance themselves from their party's tarnished brand. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026 The Pierre was a gem, but a tarnished one after 96 summers and thousands of guests. — Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026 Her lower back had ached during dinner, and, sure enough, there was the tarnished rust of her period in her underwear. — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026 As the New York Times reports, Gates is seemingly pulling out all the stops to rescue his tarnished brand, a fall from grace that’s putting his $89 billion global health fund, the Gates Foundation, in jeopardy. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 11 June 2026 From a low-security prison in California, the former Democratic megadonor has been seeking to reshape his tarnished image while making public declarations in support of the president. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 9 June 2026 The Golden State’s reputation for its business climate is a bit tarnished. — Doug McCauley, Oc Register, 27 May 2026 Despite its tarnished early service history ‒ the two crashes combined killed 346 people ‒ the MAX has proven a capable plane. — Zach Wichter, USA Today, 20 May 2026

Verb

Major financial firms like Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo stopped participating in the company’s lucrative rankings of wealth advisers for fear of being tarnished by association. — Benjamin Mullin, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026 The wars severely tarnished the United States’ global reputation and left a generation of Americans skeptical that the country could be a force for good in the world. — Philip H. Gordon, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2026 Inevitably, Kreutzer’s film was tarnished by association and even withdrawn from some cinemas. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026 But in some recent years the revelries have been tarnished by shootings and stabbings. — John Annese, New York Daily News, 7 Sep. 2026 In June, Marius Borg Høiby, 29, was sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of rape and domestic violence after a seven-week trial that further tarnished the family’s reputation. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 The Pentagon's inadequate communication has tarnished trust and credibility among the American public, Congress and crucial regional allies who are facing Iranian attacks, three former military officials tell Lawrence. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 21 July 2026 Jingye Group said in a WeChat statement that the nationalization move tarnished the credibility of the British government, spooked international investors and caused great losses to the company’s operation and British taxpayers’ funds. — Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026 Some of that sheen has been tarnished in recent weeks by Farage's acceptance of funds from wealthy donors, perhaps giving Burnham an opening to revive Labour's fortunes. — Elizabeth Piper, USA Today, 17 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnished

Adjective

One young fashion photographer who made a name for himself at indie mags like i-D with his unpolished images of a teenage Kate Moss, was Juergen Teller.

— Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
But in an age where AI-assisted writing is becoming increasingly ubiquitous, the distinctly unpolished text has its own charm.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of unpolished

Adjective

The moon will be absent most of the night, rising a couple of hours before dawn as a 17%-illuminated waning crescent — too dim to affect visibility of meteors.

— Jamie Carter, Space.com, 12 Oct. 2026
The fixture can attach to any flat surface with stick-on adhesives in just seconds, so say goodbye to the days of dim bathroom lighting or cooking under gloomy overheads.

— Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of dim

Verb

Bookshelves are crammed with novels and almanacs, the wood boards of the ceilings stained dark in delicious contrast to the clean white walls and creamy linen furnishings.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
The yellow color from the fenbendazole stained his white goatee.

— Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of stained

Verb

The video cuts to Swift living out exactly what Johnson’s been living through, revealing that Farrell poisoned Swift, leading to her death.

— Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2026
In her other case, Hogan has been accused of trying to falsify a paternity test in a custody battle with her ex-fiancé, who was not the same man who was allegedly poisoned.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of poisoned

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“Tarnished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnished. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tarnished

adjective

verb

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