Meaning & use
tarnish
To make a metal surface dull by exposure to air, or to damage someone's reputation.
See it in a sentence
Silver jewelry can tarnish quickly if it is not stored properly.
The scandal tarnished the senator's reputation for the rest of his career.
A note on using this word
Tarnish works both literally for metal losing its shine and figuratively for a damaged reputation or image.
Words with a similar meaning
dullcorrodesully
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
polishrestore
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