Burnished

adj, verb

adj, verb ·2 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    simple past and past participle of burnish form-of, participle, past
Adjective
  1. 1
    Polished, made shiny by rubbing (especially with a burnisher). not-comparable

    "The frame of burnish'd steel, that cast a glare From far, and seemed to thaw the freezing air."

  2. 2
    Blazing, bright. figuratively, not-comparable

    "Mor. Miſlike me not for my complexion, The ſhadowed liuerie of the burniſht ſunne, To whom I am a neighbour,and neere bred. Bring me the faireſt creature North-ward borne, Where Phœbus fire ſcarce thawes the yſicles, And let vs make inciſion for your loue, To proue whoſe blood is reddeſt,his or mine."

Adjective
  1. 1
    made smooth and bright by or as if by rubbing; reflecting a sheen or glow wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
brightfinishedfurbishedglaceglassyglazed

Example

More examples

"A person's reputation can be greatly burnished or tarnished depending on how the media chooses to cover them."

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.