Burnish

Pronunciation: /ˈbərnɪʃ/

Definitions of burnish

verb to polish or make shiny by rubbing; to improve or enhance the appearance of something

Example Sentences

A1 She burnished her shoes before going to the party.

A2 The knight burnished his armor until it gleamed in the sunlight.

B1 The artist carefully burnished the edges of the painting to give it a polished look.

B2 The antique vase was burnished to restore its original shine.

C1 The master craftsman burnished the metal sculpture to perfection.

C2 The jeweler burnished the diamond ring to make it sparkle even more.

Examples of burnish in a Sentence

formal The silversmith used a special cloth to burnish the silver to a high shine.

informal I'm going to burnish my shoes before the party tonight.

slang I need to burnish up my resume before applying for that job.

figurative The successful CEO knew how to burnish her public image through strategic PR efforts.

Grammatical Forms of burnish

• past tense: burnished
• plural: burnishes
• comparative: more burnished
• superlative: most burnished
• present tense: burnish
• future tense: will burnish
• perfect tense: have burnished
• continuous tense: is burnishing
• singular: burnish
• positive degree: burnish
• infinitive: to burnish
• gerund: burnishing
• participle: burnishing

Origin and Evolution of burnish

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The word 'burnish' originated from the Middle English word 'burnishen', which was derived from the Old French word 'burniss-', meaning to make shiny or polished.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'burnish' has retained its original meaning of polishing or making something shiny, but it has also come to be used metaphorically to describe improving or enhancing something, such as a reputation or image.