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

Silver itself can’t be permanently tarnished since tarnish is not corrosive and can be removed. — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2026 Taking shots at the left is one way that Democrats are trying to distance themselves from their party's tarnished brand. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026 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

Verb

But in some recent years the revelries have been tarnished by shootings and stabbings. — John Annese, New York Daily News, 7 Sep. 2026 In June, Marius Borg Høiby, 29, was sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of rape and domestic violence after a seven-week trial that further tarnished the family’s reputation. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 The Iran-contra scandal in the mid-1980s badly tarnished Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy record. — Nate Swanson, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnished

Adjective

One young fashion photographer who made a name for himself at indie mags like i-D with his unpolished images of a teenage Kate Moss, was Juergen Teller.

— Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
But in an age where AI-assisted writing is becoming increasingly ubiquitous, the distinctly unpolished text has its own charm.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of unpolished

Verb

The findings paint a picture of a response marred by poor preparation, communication issues and disorganized leadership that struggled to coordinate between jurisdictions.

— Evan Bush, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
But his legacy was also marred by the discovery of his elaborate shielding of his wealth from taxes through shell companies, which experts say may have hurt the growth of his nation.

— Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of marred

Adjective

Nothing drags down your home’s exterior quite like dingy vinyl siding.

— The Spruce, The Spruce, 20 Sep. 2026
Mehring’s characters include petty criminals, unscrupulous lawyers, Galician Jews, Freikorps heavies, local and international businessmen, Prussian generals, and the everyday citizens inhabiting the streets of Berlin’s old and rather dingy center.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of dingy

Verb

While three players have exceeded that total in the National League, all were active in the steroids era and their accomplishment has been tainted as a result, which is not the case for Judge.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Even if the Constitution is democratically tainted, what is the alternative?

— Brian Fitzpatrick, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of tainted

Adjective

The fixture can attach to any flat surface with stick-on adhesives in just seconds, so say goodbye to the days of dim bathroom lighting or cooking under gloomy overheads.

— Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 7 Oct. 2026
The limited electricity supply also left classrooms dim and prevented the school from using refrigerators.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of dim

Verb

Bookshelves are crammed with novels and almanacs, the wood boards of the ceilings stained dark in delicious contrast to the clean white walls and creamy linen furnishings.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
The yellow color from the fenbendazole stained his white goatee.

— Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of stained

Adjective

Giants rookie first-round linebacker Arvell Reese flew around the field and received a game ball in last Sunday’s 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans, bouncing back from a lackluster Week 2 showing in Los Angeles.

— Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026
China will report its industrial profits for the first eight months of the year on Monday after higher commodity input costs and lackluster domestic demand continue to weigh on manufacturers.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of lackluster

Verb

The video cuts to Swift living out exactly what Johnson’s been living through, revealing that Farrell poisoned Swift, leading to her death.

— Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2026
In her other case, Hogan has been accused of trying to falsify a paternity test in a custody battle with her ex-fiancé, who was not the same man who was allegedly poisoned.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of poisoned

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“Tarnished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnished. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tarnished

adjective

verb

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