tarnish
Noun:
- A discoloration or loss of brightness on the surface of a metal: This is caused by a chemical reaction, typically oxidation or exposure to sulfur compounds.
- (Figurative) A stain or blemish on a reputation or image: Used metaphorically to describe damage to someone's good name or honor.
Verb (transitive and intransitive):
- To make or become less bright or discolored: To cause a metal surface to lose its luster, often due to exposure to air or moisture.
- (Figurative) To diminish or damage the purity, luster, or good quality of something abstract: To sully or taint a reputation, memory, or ideal.
Noun:
- The antique silver had a dark tarnish that needed polishing.
- The scandal left a permanent tarnish on his political career.
Verb:
- Exposure to the humid air will tarnish the copper fittings.
- She was careful not to do anything that could tarnish the company's brand image.
- The beautiful brass doorknob had tarnished over the years.
"to tarnish one's image/reputation/honor": A common figurative phrase meaning to damage public perception.
- The allegations, though false, threatened to tarnish her impeccable reputation.
"beyond tarnish": Implies something is so pure or respected it cannot be sullied (often used rhetorically).
- His legacy was considered beyond tarnish.
Tarnishable (adjective): Capable of being tarnished.
- Silver is a highly tarnishable metal.
Tarnished (adjective): Describing something that has lost its luster or been sullied.
- We cleaned the tarnished candlesticks.
- He was a hero with a slightly tarnished past.
Untarnished (adjective): Remaining bright, clean, or unsullied.
- She maintained an untarnished record of integrity.
- Verb (literal): Discolor, dull, corrode, oxidize.
- Verb (figurative): Sully, stain, blemish, taint, mar, besmirch, defile.
- Noun (figurative): Stain, blot, smirch, blemish.
(Note: "Tarnish" is not commonly used in phrasal verb constructions. Its meaning is typically conveyed directly or with prepositions like "with" or "by.") - To tarnish with [something]: To stain or sully by association with a negative thing. - His victory was tarnished with accusations of cheating.
A tarnished halo: Refers to someone whose saintly or pure image has been damaged.
- After the controversy, the celebrity's tarnished halo was evident to all.
To tarnish the gold/gilt: To spoil something that is valuable or beautiful.
- The bitter argument tarnished the gold of their long friendship.
- discoloration of metal surface caused by oxidation
- make dirty or spotty, as by exposure to air; also used metaphorically
- The silver was tarnished by the long exposure to the air
- Her reputation was sullied after the affair with a married man