verb · transitive · rare

burnish

burn·ish

burnish · burnishes · burnished · burnishing

шліфувати, полірувати

полировать, шлифовать, драить, надраить

glätten, glatt scheuern, zu mehr Glanz verhelfen, aufpolieren

To make bright, shiny, and smooth by, or as if by, rubbingTo make (something, such as a surface) bright, shiny, and smooth by, or (by extension) as if by, rubbing; to polish, to shine.

ⓘ

UK/ˈbɜːnɪʃ/US/ˈbɝnɪʃ/

» The company is trying to burnish its image after the scandal.

Meaning

6 senses

(transitive)To make (something, such as a surface) bright, shiny, and smooth by, or (by extension) as if by, rubbing; to polish, to shine.
In pottery, a stone is sometimes used to burnish a pot before firing, giving it a smooth, shiny look.
brünieren, glanzschleifen, glätten
дра́итьdráitʹ, надра́иватьnadráivatʹ, надра́итьnadráitʹ
поліруватиpoliruvaty, шліфуватиšlifuvaty
polish and make shiny
(transitive)Of a stag: to remove the velvet (“skin and fine fur”) from (its antlers) by rubbing them against something; to velvet.
(figuratively, transitive)To make (someone or something) appear positive and highly respected.
aufpolieren, zu mehr Glanz verhelfen
(intransitive)To become bright, glossy, and smooth; to brighten, to gleam, to shine forth.
Of a person's body: to grow large or stout; to fatten, to fill out.
(broadly)Of a thing: to increase in size; to expand, to spread out, to swell.

Examples

5 sentences

The company is trying to burnish its image after the scandal.
CC BY · Tatoeba · rul · C2Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
Tom made attempts to burnish his public image after a myriad of scandals.
CC BY · Tatoeba · letsgolanguages · C2Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
This metal burnishes well.
ruЭтот металл хорошо полируется.
CC BY · Tatoeba · C2Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
But after more than a year in prison, he escaped, further burnishing his legendary status.
CC0 · Tatoeba · Cangarejo · C2Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
A person's reputation can be greatly burnished or tarnished depending on how the media chooses to cover them.
CC BY · Tatoeba · Auride · C2Open on Tatoeba Report a problem

Translations

9 languages

Українська

By meaning 1

to make (something, such as a surface) bright, shiny, and smooth by, or (by extension) as if by, rubbing — see also polish, shine:

Русский

By meaning 1

to make (something, such as a surface) bright, shiny, and smooth by, or (by extension) as if by, rubbing — see also polish, shine:

Deutsch

By meaning 2

to make (something, such as a surface) bright, shiny, and smooth by, or (by extension) as if by, rubbing — see also polish, shine:

to make (someone or something) appear positive and highly respected:

Origin

The verb is derived from Middle English burnishen, burnysshen (“to polish, burnish; (figur

The verb is derived from Middle English burnishen, burnysshen (“to polish, burnish; (figuratively) to brighten, give lustre to; to clean (something) until shiny; to decorate (with something shiny), adorn”) [and other forms], from burniss-, a stem of Old French burnir (compare, for example, the first-person present singular indicative form burnis), a variant of brunir (“to make clean and shiny, polish; to make brown”) (modern French brunir), from Frankish *brūnijan (“to polish, make resplendent”), from Proto-Germanic *brūnijaną (“to decorate; tan”), from Proto-Germanic *brūnaz (“brown”, adjective), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (“brown”, adjective). Unrelated to burn.

From Middle English barnishen, barnish (“to grow big (with child), to become pregnant; to grow stout or strong”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from barn (“child, offspring; infant; unborn child; human being, person; male person, man (especially a young man or young warrior)”). (from Old English bearn (“child”), from Proto-West Germanic *barn (“child”), from Proto-Germanic *barną (“child”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- (“to bear, carry”)) + -ishen (suffix forming verbs).

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