polished; polishing; polishes
1
: to make smooth and glossy usually by friction : burnish
2
: to smooth, soften, or refine in manners or condition
3
: to bring to a highly developed, finished, or refined state : perfect
: to become smooth or glossy by or as if by friction
polisher
noun
1
2
: the action or process of polishing
3
: a preparation that is used to produce a gloss and often a color for the protection and decoration of a surface
furniture polish
nail polish
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Poland, the Poles, or Polish
: the Slavic language of the Poles
Examples of polish in a Sentence
Verb
He spent the summer polishing his math skills.
you'll need to polish your shoes with a clean rag before the performance
Noun (1)
I need more shoe polish.
Did you use a wax polish on the table or an oil-based one?
The movie has the polish we've come to expect from that director.
He's rude and lacks polish.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
For easy travel outfits, the Treasure & Bond Rolled Crewneck Cardigan is just $32, and the City Blues Waffle Knit Lounge Pants are $30—comfortable enough for flights, polished enough for sightseeing.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2026
Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026
Polish the sink and fixtures: Take a small amount of stainless steel polish (again, Bar Keepers Friend is a go-to), and use a paper towel or cloth to buff it into the sink and fixtures.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 24 Jan. 2026
Marta Balaga, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
Available this year is Orange Cream Paczki Day Vodka and the distillery’s new Home Town Poland X Detroit Vodka — a blend of Michigan and Polish potato vodkas.
—Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2025
But in the early days of a startup, design polish doesn’t attract customers, partners, or investors.
—Abdo Riani, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for polish
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Verb
One air bubble can destroy a $10,000 piece at the polishing stage.
—Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
For easy travel outfits, the Treasure & Bond Rolled Crewneck Cardigan is just $32, and the City Blues Waffle Knit Lounge Pants are $30—comfortable enough for flights, polished enough for sightseeing.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
This square manicure features a bubble gum pink jelly polish for that sheer, lipgloss look.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026
Polish the sink and fixtures: Take a small amount of stainless steel polish (again, Bar Keepers Friend is a go-to), and use a paper towel or cloth to buff it into the sink and fixtures.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
During the event, the festival also spotlighted Noomi Rapace, who picked up the Nordic Honorary Dragon Award, and Polish director Agnieszka Holland (Honorary Dragon Award).
—Marta Balaga, Variety, 31 Jan. 2026
Available this year is Orange Cream Paczki Day Vodka and the distillery’s new Home Town Poland X Detroit Vodka — a blend of Michigan and Polish potato vodkas.
—Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
Tying all of these ideas together and applying a consistent level of polish to them also added time to the process.
—Andrew Cunningham, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2025
But in the early days of a startup, design polish doesn’t attract customers, partners, or investors.
—Abdo Riani, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for polish
Cite this Entry
“Polish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polish. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
polish
1 of 4 verb
pol·ish
ˈpäl-ish 
1
: to make smooth and glossy usually by rubbing
2
: to smooth or improve in manners, condition, or style
3
: to bring to a highly developed or finished state
polish a technique
polisher
noun
polish
2 of 4 noun1
a
: a smooth glossy surface : luster
b
: good manners : refinement
2
: the action or process of polishing
3
: a substance prepared for use in polishing
shoe polish
nail polish
Polish
3 of 4 adjective
Pol·ish
ˈpō-lish
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Poland, the Poles, or Polish
Polish
4 of 4 noun
: the Slavic language of the Poles
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