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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

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 The sprawling case, which has thousands of court filings, is a battle of salvaging tarnished reputations. — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2026 Try The Polish Test Use a clean, soft cloth to rub the tarnished silver. — Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026

Verb

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 And that would enhance his legacy, which has been tarnished lately because of Miami’s three straight lackluster seasons. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026 The more attention Clark brought to the league, the more many of its players tarnished their own public image. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026 Also in 2018, Prince Mohammed's reputation was tarnished by the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. — ABC News, 8 July 2026 In that light, the NCAA has insisted that the more college sports seem like pro sports, with athletes who want to stick around well into their 20s, the game’s marketability and TV ratings could be tarnished. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 7 July 2026 The opposition vastly outspent the proponents, but analysts also attributed the loss to the lack of voter trust in city government, where years of fiscal struggles and bad real estate transactions have tarnished City Hall’s image. — Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnished

Adjective

The debut campaign captures the essence of Bell by switching between chic, elevated vignettes and unpolished moments about her own daily life.

— Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 19 Aug. 2026
Miami’s spent two years investing in the unpolished pass rusher, with mixed views, and the hope is that the playing time, and all the mentoring Robinson received the past two seasons begins to pay off in 2026.

— Omar Kelly August 6, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of unpolished

Verb

In seeking a new trial, Anthony’s attorneys have argued that the June proceedings were marred by strict courtroom rules and improper jury instructions.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
In seeking a new trial, Anthony's attorneys have argued that the June proceedings were marred by strict courtroom rules and improper jury instructions.

— CBS Texas Staff, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of marred

Verb

In July, the US was hit with a wave of explosive diarrhea caused by an outbreak of cyclospora, a parasite that spreads through food and water tainted with human feces.

— Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 20 Aug. 2026
The president has pointed to Cohen’s reversal in the Daniels case as evidence that his own conviction on 34 felony counts was tainted.

— Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of tainted

Adjective

Honestly, the future is dim for Maryland’s economy, especially when its most powerful lawmakers ignore the light switch in front of them.

— Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 19 Aug. 2026
The 1,600-nit peak brightness is where the glasses literally shine, as the more Luma and Beast models only range from 1,000 to 1,250 nits, while the XReal One Pro is comparably dim at 700 nits.

— Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of dim

Verb

After his death, Bob’s became the de facto location for fans needing to pay homage to the beloved director, piled high with tributes of cigarettes, cans of Coke, donuts, slices of pie and tear-stained letters of gratitude.

— Amanda Karkoutly, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2026
This means clearing out old backpacks and lunch boxes that are broken, stained, or no longer useful.

— Sherri Gordon, Parents, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of stained

Adjective

As offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said after a particularly lackluster practice from Heck, that could change once the regular season gets underway.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026
Cole is a former cop who feels guilty about his father’s death, a backstory as lackluster as the exposition dumps that blurt it out.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of lackluster

Verb

Patterson was accused of pretending to eat the same portion, and of feigning illness in an elaborate ruse to suggest she’d also been poisoned.

— Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
For decades, many speculated Taylor had been poisoned with arsenic, as his sudden death happened during an intense political crisis over slavery.

— Sophie Clausen, PEOPLE, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of poisoned

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“Tarnished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnished. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of tarnished

adjective

verb

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