tarnish

/ˈtɑːnɪʃ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtɑːrnɪʃ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtär-nish/ (ame, mw)

tarnish — 動詞

  • tarnishpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • tarnisheshe / she / it
  • tarnishedpast simple
  • tarnishing-ing form

1. When a metal surface reacts with the air and changes colour, it becomes less bri

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

失去光澤

金屬表面因氧化而變色

When a metal surface reacts with the air and changes colour, it becomes less bright and shiny — either by itself or because something causes the change.

例句

Yuki noticed her silver necklace had begun to tarnish after just a few months.

Yuki 發現她的銀項鍊才戴了幾個月就開始失去光澤了。

intransitive use: silver + tarnish naturally over time

The damp air in the bathroom quickly tarnishes brass fittings and door handles.

浴室的潮濕空氣很快就會讓黃銅配件和門把失去光澤。

transitive: damp air tarnishes brass objects

同義詞
  • discolour

    more general — applies to any material changing colour, not just metal through oxidation

  • oxidise

    more technical and scientific; names the exact chemical process that causes tarnish

反義詞
  • polish

    the action of restoring brightness to a tarnished surface

  • shine

    the state of being bright that tarnish removes

文法句型

tarnish (intransitive) — the metal becomes dull

tarnish + object — something causes the metal to become dull

用法筆記

The literal sense can be used intransitively (the metal tarnishes by itself as a natural process) or transitively (something external causes the metal to tarnish). The intransitive use is common when describing the behaviour of a type of metal over time, while the transitive use specifies the cause.

常見錯誤

❌The silver tarnished the necklace.' (wrong word order for intransitive)
✅The necklace tarnished.' or 'The salt air tarnished the necklace.
💡when the metal itself becomes dull, the verb is intransitive and the metal is the subject; when something causes it, the verb is transitive and the cause is the subject.

2. to spoil the good opinion that people have of a person or an organisation, makin

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

損害；玷污

破壞名聲或良好形象

to spoil the good opinion that people have of a person or an organisation, making them appear less honest, admirable, or trustworthy.

例句

The financial scandal tarnished the senator's reputation among voters across the state.

那場金融醜聞損害了這位參議員在全州選民心中的聲譽。

common pattern: scandal tarnishes + reputation

Anika worried that her brother's arrest would tarnish the family name in their small town.

Anika 擔心弟弟被捕會玷污他們家在小鎮的名聲。

同義詞
  • sully

    more formal and literary; suggests something pure or noble being dirtied

  • stain

    stronger and implies more permanent damage that is hard to remove

  • damage

    more general and less metaphorical; covers any kind of harm to reputation

反義詞
  • enhance

    to improve or strengthen a reputation

  • restore

    to bring a damaged reputation back to its previous good state

文法句型

tarnish + noun (reputation / image / name / character / record / standing)

用法筆記

The figurative sense is nearly always transitive — the tarnishing agent (scandal, rumour, dishonest act) is the subject, and the damaged reputation is the object. The object is typically an abstract noun such as 'reputation', 'image', 'name', 'character', 'record', or 'standing'. This sense is very common in news reporting, political commentary, and formal discussion of ethics.

常見錯誤

❌The scandal tarnished.' (intransitive use for figurative sense — incomplete)
✅The scandal tarnished the governor's reputation.
💡the figurative sense always needs a direct object that names what is damaged.
❌The rumour tarnished his honesty.' (unusual object)
✅The rumour tarnished his reputation.
💡the object should name the general standing or image, not a single trait.

tarnish — 名詞