tarnish

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“
But the tarnish washes off in night and rain.

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Definitions (21)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (8)

  1. transitive verb To dull the luster of; discolor, especially by exposure to air or dirt.
  2. transitive verb To detract from or spoil; taint: a tragedy that tarnished our hopes.
  3. transitive verb To cast aspersions on; sully: slander that tarnished the senator's image.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (8)

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Examples (49)

  • I trust that your Imperial Majesty will please to believe me to be sensible that the honours which you have so graciously bestowed upon me it is my duty not to tarnish, and that your Majesty will further believe that, highly as I prize those honours, I hold the maintenance of my reputation in my native country in equal estimation. —  The Life of Thomas, Lord Cochrane, Tenth Earl of Dundonald, G.C.B., Admiral of the Red, Rear-Admiral of the Fleet, Etc., Etc.
  • Owyang made the statement that despite the temporary reputation tarnish, the kerfuffle, essentially drew more people to Motrin's Web site and led to more searches for the brand.
  • But Dustin Milligan and AnnaLynne McCord give their golden rich kids some welcome emotional tarnish, and Jessica Stroup and Michael Steger play the arty misfits with casual charm. —  Top Stories - Google News
  • Within a minute, the tarnish was totally gone, even though the water had cooled off by the time he added the salt. —  More Hip Than Hippie Podcast
  • Her English was terrible, but the teacher was instructed to give this student a good mark for this assignment or she would be sacked by her principal, otherwise the father of the student would withdraw her from the school and tarnish the name of the school in the community. —  Home
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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

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tarnish:   tarnished
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English ternisshen, from Old French ternir, terniss-, to dull, from terne, dull, of Germanic origin.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. from Old French terniss-, stem of certain parts of ternir, make dim, from terne, dull, from Old High German tarni (cf. Old High German tarnan, tarnjan, Middle High German ternen, obscure) = Anglo-Saxon derne = Old Saxon derni = OFries. dern: see dern. Cf. German tarn-kappe, a hat or cap that makes one invisible.
  2. from tarnish, v.
 

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/ˈtɑrnɪʃ/
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