Synonyms of polished

polished 1 of 2

adjective

ˈpä-lisht 

1

as in sleek

having a shiny surface or finish

she could see her face reflected in the polished hood of the car

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sleek
• glossy
• glistening
• satin
• burnished
• rubbed
• gleaming
• lustrous
• buffed
• satiny
• glittering
• brushed
• silky
• reflective
• shining
• lacquered
• glazed
• varnished
• slick
• glassy
• silken
• slippery
• semilustrous
• semigloss
• shellacked
• eggshell

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• flat
• dull
• dim
• lusterless
• lackluster
• matte
• unvarnished

2

as in cultured

having or showing a taste for the fine arts and gracious living

showing the polished manners of a cosmopolitan woman

Synonyms & Similar Words

• cultured
• civilized
• accomplished
• refined
• cultivated
• polite
• educated
• civil
• sophisticated
• scholarly
• literate
• genteel
• cerebral
• couth
• cosmopolitan
• intellectual
• erudite
• highbrow
• knowledgeable
• courteous
• intellectualistic
• learned
• urbane
• well-bred
• high-toned
• highbrowed
• mannerly
• well-read
• intellectualist
• overcivilized
• hypercivilized
• oversophisticated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unpolished
• unrefined
• uncivilized
• barbaric
• barbarous
• ignorant
• uncultured
• uneducated
• illiterate
• coarse
• unlettered
• unintelligent
• rustic
• provincial
• lowbrow
• ungenteel
• philistine
• unsophisticated
• crude
• backwoods
• inelegant
• polyester
• vulgar
• uncouth
• boorish
• clownish
• ill-mannered
• churlish
• ill-bred
• cloddish

polished

2 of 2

verb

past tense of polish

1

as in smoothed

to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure

you'll need to polish your shoes with a clean rag before the performance

Synonyms & Similar Words

• smoothed
• rubbed
• coated
• burnished
• scrubbed
• buffed
• glossed
• shone
• dressed
• ground
• scraped
• finished
• furbished
• sanded
• glazed
• smoothened
• bobbed
• varnished
• slicked
• faced
• lacquered
• veneered
• sleeked
• brightened
• sandblasted
• filed
• japanned
• sandpapered
• scoured
• boned
• lapped
• rasped

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• roughened
• ruffled
• scuffed (up)
• roughed (up)

2

as in finished

to bring (something) to a state where nothing remains to be done

once you polish the article a bit, it'll be ready to submit

Synonyms & Similar Words

• finished
• completed
• perfected
• accomplished
• finalized
• consummated
• got through
• executed
• fulfilled
• did
• improved
• refined
• achieved
• performed
• stuck out
• effected
• carried out
• enhanced
• machined
• enriched
• amended
• bettered
• shone
• carried through
• ameliorated
• discharged
• followed through (with)
• meliorated
• rounded (off or out)
• touched up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• abandoned
• dropped
• deserted
• discontinued
• quit
• forsook

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of polished

Adjective

Former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was polished and Rick Jackson mostly held his own in the one and only Georgia governor’s debate of the 2026 general election Tuesday night. — Patricia Murphy, AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026

That approach quickly gained traction, and in the decade since, the brand has become a go-to for structured, polished styles that work for everyday and beyond. — Angela Tafoya, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026

Verb

It’s designed with a flexible, supportive jelly strip and wide sides provide a smooth, bulge-free coverage that looks polished under T-shirts. — Jacqueline Tempera, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026

The ula fala is a traditional Samoan necklace made from dried parts, called keys, of the tropical pandanus plant that are polished then strung into a necklace. — Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026