tarnished 1 of 2

past tense of tarnish

tarnished

2 of 2

adjective

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarnished
Verb
  • Lennon's notoriously troubled upbringing was marred by paternal abandonment, frequent moves, and the sudden death of those closest to him, including his estranged mother Julia.
    Jordan Runtagh, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025
  • The decision was not marred by procedural unfairness.
    Simon Perry, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The offense’s best chance to fabricate an open look comes possibly from an unpolished 19-year-old, Egor Demin, who Brooklyn selected with the No. 8 pick in last month’s draft.
    Fred Katz, New York Times, 30 July 2025
  • In a world of polished noise, the unpolished often feels most powerful.
    Ran Wei, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
Verb
  • Amazon objected to the 2022 warehouse election results, alleging the Amazon Labor Union and the federal labor board had tainted the vote.
    CBS News, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Some see all Russians and their cultural heritage as irredeemably tainted by imperial thinking, a view heavily influenced by post-colonial studies in American academia.
    Andrew Higgins, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • That number includes children, who represent 16 percent of those poisoned and 27 percent of all fatalities.
    Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2025
  • And guess what, hospitals are seeing cases of vitamin A toxicity — of kids poisoned by being fed too many vitamins instead of being vaccinated.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • These machines blast away years of grime, dirt, mildew, and even stubborn stains, transforming dingy and dull surfaces into sparkling clean ones in mere minutes.
    Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 May 2025
  • Torry’s candidly dumpy, dingy, dated, wood panel lined courtroom allowed for the placement of contemporary art and the banging of nails into walls which would have been forbidden in one of the ornate ground floor courtrooms.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
Adjective
  • Its otherwise unassuming exterior hides a magnificent art collection as well as dim, plush interiors that look ripped from a David Lynch film.
    New York Times, New York Times, 24 July 2025
  • Arrive early to give your eyes time to adjust to the dim twilight.
    Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Adjective
  • On Monday, the Royals felt the brunt of a lackluster 10-7 loss to the Atlanta Braves in a series opener at Kauffman Stadium.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 29 July 2025
  • The housing market is traditionally busiest in spring, but this year’s key buying season proved lackluster.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 28 July 2025
Adjective
  • Dull mirror and drab metal passed sickly fluorescence between them.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2025
  • Sharing the same drab corridors is Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing a health insurance executive Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, 2024 in Manhattan.
    Danielle Bacher, People.com, 3 July 2025
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tarnished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarnished. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on tarnished

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!