tarnish
C1Formal, but common in everyday speech, especially in figurative use.
Definition
Meaning
to make metal lose its shine by developing a thin layer of oxide or sulfide on its surface, or to spoil a good reputation.
To make something seem less valuable, attractive, or impressive; to diminish the lustre or purity of.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word implies a process of degradation from a previously bright or pure state. It is often used metaphorically for reputation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling is consistent.
Connotations
Identical connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Similar frequency in both corpora.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
tarnish somethingbe tarnished by somethingVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “tarnish someone's halo”
- “tarnish the family name”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used regarding corporate reputation or brand image: 'The scandal tarnished the company's brand.'
Academic
Used in historical or social sciences to discuss the erosion of a figure's legacy.
Everyday
Commonly used for tarnished silverware or a spoiled reputation.
Technical
In metallurgy, describes the chemical process of surface oxidation or sulfidation.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The copper roof will tarnish to a green patina over time.
- He was careful not to tarnish his honour.
American English
- The scandal could tarnish her political legacy.
- Don't use that cleaner, it will tarnish the silver.
adjective
British English
- The tarnish-resistant coating kept the brass bright.
- A tarnished reputation is hard to restore.
American English
- He polished the tarnished trophy until it shone.
- They addressed the tarnished public image.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Silver jewellery can tarnish if you don't clean it.
- The old coin was dark and tarnished.
- The allegations threatened to tarnish the athlete's clean image.
- He used a special cloth to remove the tarnish from the spoon.
- The leader's earlier achievements were now tarnished by recent failures.
- Environmental concerns have tarnished the industry's appeal to investors.
- No amount of posthumous praise could remove the tarnish of collaboration from his record.
- The philosophical ideal remained untarnished by the imperfect attempts to realise it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of TARNISHed SILVER: both words contain 'ish' and describe a loss of shine.
Conceptual Metaphor
REPUTATION IS A SHINY METAL OBJECT (which can be tarnished).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'тускнеть' (to grow dim) for inanimate light sources; 'tarnish' requires an agent or chemical process. Avoid using 'портить' for all contexts; 'запятнать репутацию' is more precise for figurative use.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'tarnish' for permanent destruction (it implies surface-level damage). Confusing with 'tarnish' as a noun (the tarnish). Over-applying to non-metallic physical objects.
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'tarnish' INCORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily, yes, for the literal meaning. However, its most common use today is figurative, applied to reputations, images, or legacies.
'Tarnish' refers to surface-level discolouration (e.g., on silver, copper). 'Corrode' implies deeper, destructive chemical erosion (e.g., rust on iron).
Yes. 'Tarnish' as a noun refers to the layer of discolouration itself (e.g., 'There was a lot of tarnish on the old cutlery').
It is standard and appropriate in both formal and informal contexts, especially in its figurative sense.