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
Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 14 June 2025
Williams is also still polishing his footwork and becoming more comfortable operating from under center.
—Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025
Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 17 June 2025
Essie Blanc $10 $9 at Amazon $10 at Walmart $10 at Target
Summertime is perhaps the only time that a less milky white polish feels appropriate, especially to make your toes pop in your new sandals or at the beach.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 12 June 2025
Sam Knight, New Yorker, 17 June 2025
Customers could include Ethiopian Airlines and Polish carrier Lot, as well as Vietnam Airlines, AirAsia, Royal Air Maroc, Etihad and Saudi carrier Riyadh, said Ishka.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for polish
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Verb
The 55-year-old former model polished up the look with Christian Louboutin denim pumps.
—Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 14 June 2025
Williams is also still polishing his footwork and becoming more comfortable operating from under center.
—Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025
Noun
The black polish is a trend popularised by mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters, who do it to harden their toenails and prevent them from cracking or splitting under duress.
—Greg O'Keeffe, New York Times, 17 June 2025
Essie Blanc $10 $9 at Amazon $10 at Walmart $10 at Target
Summertime is perhaps the only time that a less milky white polish feels appropriate, especially to make your toes pop in your new sandals or at the beach.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 12 June 2025
Adjective
There was a bookcase stuffed with catalogues of works by Goya and other Surrealists, along with books about Stanisław Wyspiański, a Polish modernist painter, and about Hitler’s army.
—Sam Knight, New Yorker, 17 June 2025
Customers could include Ethiopian Airlines and Polish carrier Lot, as well as Vietnam Airlines, AirAsia, Royal Air Maroc, Etihad and Saudi carrier Riyadh, said Ishka.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 15 June 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 20 Jun. 2025.
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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