B2verb · transitive · common

polish

polish · polishes · polished · polishing

відполірувати, відшліфувати, шліфувати, відшліфовувати

полировать, шлифовать

polieren, wichsen, perfektionieren

To shine; to make a surface very smooth or shiny by rubbing, cleaning, or grindingTo shine; to make a surface very smooth or shiny by rubbing, cleaning, or grinding.

ⓘ

UK/ˈpɒl.ɪʃ/US/ˈpɑ.lɪʃ/

» Mary seldom uses nail polish.

Мэри редко пользуется лаком для ногтей.

Мэри редко красит ногти.

Мері рідко користується лаком для нігтів.

Meaning

5 senses

(transitive)To shine; to make a surface very smooth or shiny by rubbing, cleaning, or grinding.
He polished up the chrome until it gleamed.
polieren
полирова́тьpolirovátʹ, шлифова́тьšlifovátʹ
полірува́тиpoliruváty, пополірува́тиpopoliruváty, відполіро́вуватиvidpoliróvuvaty
make (a surface) shine
(transitive)To refine; remove imperfections from.
The band has polished its performance since the last concert.
perfektionieren
(transitive)To apply shoe polish to shoes.
wichsen
(intransitive)To become smooth, as from friction; to receive a gloss; to take a smooth and glossy surface.
Steel polishes well.
(transitive)To refine; to wear off the rudeness, coarseness, or rusticity of; to make elegant and polite.

Examples

330 sentences

Mary seldom uses nail polish.
Мері рідко користується лаком для нігтів. — deniko
ruМэри редко пользуется лаком для ногтей. — odexed
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May I use the shoe polish?
deDarf ich die Schuhpolitur benutzen? — Pfirsichbaeumchen
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Her car has a nice polish.
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Tom wanted to polish his shoes.
ruТом хотел почистить себе ботинки. — marafon
deTom wollte sich die Schuhe putzen. — raggione
CC BY 2.0 FR · Tatoeba · CK · B2Open on Tatoeba Report a problem
I wanted to polish my shoes.
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Translations

9 languages

Українська

By meaning 1

make a surface smooth or shiny:

Русский

By meaning 1

make a surface smooth or shiny:

Deutsch

By meaning 3

make a surface smooth or shiny:

to refine; improve imperfections from:

to apply shoe polish:

Origin

From Middle English polishen, from Old French poliss-, stem of some of the conjugated form

From Middle English polishen, from Old French poliss-, stem of some of the conjugated forms of polir, from Latin polīre (“to polish, make smooth”), from Proto-Indo-European *pelh₂- (“to drive, strike, thrust”), from the notion of fulling cloth.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

polishes, polishing, polished, polished

Base form	polish · to polish
3rd person singular	polishes
Present participle	polishing
Past simple	polished
Past participle	polished

regular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, they	polish
he, she, it	polishes

Past simpleLesson

all persons

polished

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, they	have polished
he, she, it	has polished

Future simple (will)Lesson

all persons

will polish

Phrasal verbs

2 phrasal verbs

Synonyms

17 synonyms

to make smooth and shiny by rubbing:waxB1 shineA2 smoothA2 boneA1 buff furbish burnish

refine:honeB2 perfectC1 refine

Close in meaning

bring to a highly developed, finished, or refined state:round round off polish up brush up
improve or perfect by pruning or polishing:refine fine-tune down
make (a surface) shine:smooth smoothen shine

Word family

16 related words

RelatedpoliteA2 polisher polishing

Derivedrepolish interpolish overpolish piano-polish polishability polishable polished polishment polish off polish up polishure unpolish unpolished

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle

Collocations

5 patterns

polish his shoes
nail polish
polish my shoes
polished your shoes
shoes polished