polish

1 of 4

verb

pol·​ish ˈpä-lish 

polished; polishing; polishes

transitive verb

1

: to make smooth and glossy usually by friction : burnish

2

: to smooth, soften, or refine in manners or condition

3

: to bring to a highly developed, finished, or refined state : perfect

intransitive verb

: to become smooth or glossy by or as if by friction

polisher noun

polish

2 of 4

noun (1)

1

a

: a smooth glossy surface : luster

b

: freedom from rudeness or coarseness : culture

c

: a state of high development or refinement

2

: the action or process of polishing

3

: a preparation that is used to produce a gloss and often a color for the protection and decoration of a surface

furniture polish

nail polish

Polish

3 of 4

adjective

Pol·​ish ˈpō-lish 

: of, relating to, or characteristic of Poland, the Poles, or Polish

Polish

4 of 4

noun (2)

: the Slavic language of the Poles

Synonyms

Verb

• buff
• burnish
• dress
• furbish
• gloss
• grind
• rub
• shine
• smooth
• smoothen

Noun (1)

• accomplishment
• civilization
• couth
• cultivation
• culture
• refinement

Examples of polish in a Sentence

Verb

He spent the summer polishing his math skills.

you'll need to polish your shoes with a clean rag before the performance

Noun (1)

I need more shoe polish.

Did you use a wax polish on the table or an oil-based one?

The movie has the polish we've come to expect from that director.

He's rude and lacks polish.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

High school seniors are now in the midst of the college admissions process; writing essays, polishing college lists, and preparing for interviews. —Christopher Rim, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

Read on to learn how to use banana peels to shine and polish silver and leather, as well as several other unusual household uses for banana peels. —Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Oct. 2024

Noun

Stepping into this shop is a visceral experience — the smell of shoe polish, the blues playing in the background, the walls covered in fading clips from decades-old issues of the Rocky Mountain News. —Beth Rankin, The Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2024

Beige and ivory tones are my favorites, even in fall, so this belt was the ideal way to transition some lighter pieces into cooler weather, anchoring them with modern polish and echoing the curves of buttons, earrings, and bracelets. —Laura Lajiness Kaupke, Glamour, 30 Oct. 2024

Adjective

The vibe is also congenial: A multi-generational, full-capacity crowd claps in time to the ebullient techno between games and cheers in unison when an announcement reveals that a Polish couple who’ve just got engaged here will be enjoying top-tier hospitality for the rest of the tournament. —Nick Scott, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2024

At a Thursday summit, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Polish President Andrzej Duda condemned the reports. —Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English polisshen, from Anglo-French poliss-, stem of polir, from Latin polire

Adjective

Pole

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Adjective

1592, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1555, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing polish

• apple-polish
• French polish
• nail polish
• polish off
• spit and polish
• take a high polish
• to a polish

Kids Definition

polish

1 of 4 verb

pol·​ish ˈpäl-ish 

1

: to make smooth and glossy usually by rubbing

2

: to smooth or improve in manners, condition, or style

3

: to bring to a highly developed or finished state

polish a technique

polisher noun

polish

2 of 4 noun

1

a

: a smooth glossy surface : luster

b

: good manners : refinement

2

: the action or process of polishing

3

: a substance prepared for use in polishing

shoe polish

nail polish

Polish

3 of 4 adjective

Pol·​ish ˈpō-lish 

: of, relating to, or characteristic of Poland, the Poles, or Polish

Polish

4 of 4 noun

: the Slavic language of the Poles