tarnish
verbEtymology From Middle English ternysshen, from Old French terniss-, stem of ternir (“to make dim, make wan”), borrowed from Old High German *ternen, tarnen, from Proto-West Germanic *darnijan (“to conceal”). Doublet of dern and darn.
1
To oxidize or discolor due to oxidation.
- Careful storage of silver will prevent it from tarnishing.
2
To compromise, damage, soil, or sully.
- He is afraid that she will tarnish his reputation if he disagrees with her.
- I have next shown you the Greeks, and " the wisdom" of their philosophy, often travesting, sometimes tarnishing the Christian religion : […]1839, Alexander Kinmont, “Lecture the Eighth; On the Unity in Variety of the Human Race”, in Twelve Lectures on the Natural History of Man, and the Rise and Progress of Philosophy, Cincinnati: U. P. James, page 232:
2 more examples
- The greed that many players show tarnishes the game.1991 April 7, “Players' Greed Tarnishes Game”, in The New York Times:
- There are normally anti-embarrassment clauses in such arrangements and, from a corporate social responsibility point of view, the upside of standing by a tarnished individual is often outweighed by the downside.2022 March 11, David Hytner, “Chelsea are in crisis but there is no will to leave club on their knees”, in The Guardian:
3
Figuratively To lose its lustre or attraction; to become dull.
- Till thy freſh Glories, vvhich novv ſhine ſo bright, / Grovv Stale and Tarniſh vvith our daily ſight.1681, [John Dryden], Absalom and Achitophel. A Poem, London: […] J[acob] T[onson] and are to be sold by W. Davis […], →OCLC, page 8:
4
Copyright, Intellectual property, Law To use a sign, image, expression, etc. sufficiently close to a trademarked one that it brings disrepute to it.
- Derived terms
- antitarnish, nontarnish, nontarnishing, tarnishable, tarnisher, tarnishment, tarnishproof