polished; polishing; polishes
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
: to become smooth or glossy by or as if by friction
polisher
noun
1
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
: of, relating to, or characteristic of Poland, the Poles, or Polish
: the Slavic language of the Poles
Synonyms
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
Ben Finley, Quartz, 13 Apr. 2024
There’s a diamond here ready to be polished by the right coaching staff.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for polish 
Verb
But it had already been tamed and polished for suburbanites, with cruise control and air conditioning, by 1994, when O.J. Simpson cowered in the back of one, a handgun to his temple, as patrol cars followed it for about two hours in the California twilight.
—Ben Finley, Quartz, 13 Apr. 2024
There’s a diamond here ready to be polished by the right coaching staff.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for polish
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'polish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near polish
Cite this Entry
“Polish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polish. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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 noun1
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
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