tarnish

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.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈtɑːnɪʃ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈtɑɹnɪʃ/

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• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)nɪʃ

tarnish (usually uncountable, plural tarnishes)

1. Oxidation or discoloration, especially of a decorative metal exposed to air.
   • 1918, Hannah Teresa Rowley, Mrs. Helen Louise (Wales) Farrell, Principles of Chemistry Applied to the Household

     Precipitated calcium carbonate, a very fine powdery form, is used as a basis for many tooth powders and pastes. As whiting it finds a wide use in cleaning metals of their tarnishes.

   • 1987 July 30, Joseph Deitch, “Removing Tarnish From Silverware”, in The New York Times‎:

     Limiting the use of silver to special occasions might invite tarnish unless the pieces are carefully protected.

tarnish (third-person singular simple present tarnishes, present participle tarnishing, simple past and past participle tarnished)

1. (intransitive) To oxidize or discolor due to oxidation.

   Careful storage of silver will prevent it from tarnishing.

2. (transitive) To compromise, damage, soil, or sully.

   He is afraid that she will tarnish his reputation if he disagrees with her.

   • 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:

     I have next shown you the Greeks, and " the wisdom" of their philosophy, often travesting, sometimes tarnishing the Christian religion : […]

   • 1991 April 7, “Players' Greed Tarnishes Game”, in The New York Times‎:

     The greed that many players show tarnishes the game.

   • 2022 March 11, David Hytner, “Chelsea are in crisis but there is no will to leave club on their knees”, in The Guardian‎:

     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.

3. (intransitive, figurative) To lose its lustre or attraction; to become dull.
   • 1681, [John Dryden], Absalom and Achitophel. A Poem. , 3rd edition, London: J T and are to be sold by W. Davis , published 1682, →OCLC, page 7:

     Till thy freſh Glories, which now ſhine ſo bright, / Grow Stale and Tarniſh with our dayly ſight.

4. (copyright law) To use a sign, image, expression, etc. sufficiently close to a trademarked one that it brings disrepute to it.

• Hartins, rantish