varnished
/ˈvɑː.nɪʃt/ (bre, ipa) · [vˈɑrnɪʃt] /ˈvɑːr.nɪʃt/ (ame, ipa) · [vˈɑrnɪʃt] /ˈvär-nish How to pronounce varnish (audio)/ (ame, mw)
varnished — 形容詞
- varnishedpositive
- more varnishedcomparative
- most varnishedsuperlative
1. covered with a hard, clear, shiny liquid that protects the surface of wood, furn
塗漆的
表面塗有保護性透明漆層的
covered with a hard, clear, shiny liquid that protects the surface of wood, furniture, or other materials and gives it a glossy look.
The old church pews had beautifully varnished oak surfaces that gleamed in the sunlight.
老教堂的長椅上有塗了漆的橡木表面，在陽光下閃閃發亮。
varnished + noun (wood surface)
Zola spent the weekend sanding and polishing the varnished floorboards in the hallway.
Zola 花了一個週末打磨和拋光走廊上已上漆的木地板。
A layer of dust had settled on the varnished shelves, hiding their natural shine.
灰塵落在已上漆的書架上，掩蓋了它們原本的光澤。
The antique dealer carefully examined the varnished surface of the mahogany cabinet for scratches.
古董商仔細檢查紅木櫃子上塗漆的表面，看有沒有刮痕。
After years in the sun, the varnished wooden chairs had grown dull and needed refinishing.
經過多年的日曬，那些漆過的木椅變得黯淡，需要重新處理。
- lacquered
similar to varnished but typically refers to a thinner, faster-drying finish; often used for metal or musical instruments
- polished
broader in meaning; can refer to any shiny surface achieved by rubbing, not necessarily with a liquid coating
- glossy
describes the appearance rather than the treatment; a varnished surface is always glossy
- unvarnished
not treated with varnish; also used figuratively to mean honest and plain
文法句型
varnished + noun
用法筆記
Usually placed before a noun describing the object that has been treated with varnish. The word focuses on the finished appearance rather than the process.
varnished — 名詞
1. a clear, shiny liquid that is brushed or sprayed onto wood or other surfaces to
清漆
塗在表面乾後形成透明保護膜的液體
a clear, shiny liquid that is brushed or sprayed onto wood or other surfaces to protect them and give them a glossy finish.
Mauricio stirred the can of varnish and dipped his brush into the thick, golden liquid.
Mauricio 攪拌罐中的清漆，然後將刷子浸入濃稠的金黃色液體中。
a can of varnish
The strong smell of varnish filled the workshop where the carpenter was restoring old furniture.
木匠正在修復舊家具的工作坊裡充滿了濃濃的清漆氣味。
Anjali bought a small tin of clear varnish to protect the wooden birdhouse she had just built.
Anjali 買了一小罐透明清漆來保護她剛做好的木製鳥屋。
Before applying the varnish, make sure the surface is completely clean and dry.
在塗抹清漆之前，請確保表面完全乾淨且乾燥。
The finishing team gave the table a second coat of varnish to ensure a durable result.
修整團隊在餐桌上塗了第二層清漆以確保持久的效果。
- lacquer
a type of varnish that dries quickly to a hard, usually glossy finish; often used on metal
- shellac
a natural varnish made from insect resin; gives a warm, amber-coloured finish
- polyurethane
a synthetic varnish that is very durable and resistant to scratches and water
文法句型
varnish + noun
a coat of varnish
用法筆記
Can be used as an uncountable noun (varnish in general) or a countable noun (a particular type or can of varnish: 'a quick-drying varnish').
常見錯誤
2. the hard, shiny layer that forms on a surface after the liquid varnish has dried
漆面
清漆乾燥後形成的硬質光澤層
the hard, shiny layer that forms on a surface after the liquid varnish has dried and hardened.
The varnish on the dining table had started to peel after twenty years of daily use.
餐桌上的漆面經過二十年的日常使用已經開始剝落。
the varnish peels / cracks
Wren used a special solvent to remove the old, yellowed varnish from the wooden picture frame.
Wren 用一種特殊的溶劑將木製相框上泛黃的舊漆面去除。
Scratches in the dark varnish revealed the lighter pine wood underneath.
深色漆面上的刮痕露出了底下較淺的松木。
The varnish on the violin gave the instrument a warm, rich glow on stage.
小提琴上的漆面讓樂器在舞台上散發出溫暖而豐富的光澤。
Heat from the coffee cup left a white ring on the varnish of her desk.
咖啡杯的熱氣在她書桌的漆面上留下了一個白色圓圈。
文法句型
the varnish + verb
用法筆記
This sense describes the dried coating itself, not the liquid. Frequently used with verbs describing damage or aging (peel, crack, yellow, fade, scratch).
常見錯誤
3. a coloured or clear liquid used to paint and decorate fingernails or toenails.
指甲油
塗在指甲上的彩色或透明化妝液
a coloured or clear liquid used to paint and decorate fingernails or toenails.
Sivan painted her nails with a bright red varnish that matched her new dress perfectly.
Sivan 塗了一層鮮紅色的指甲油，和她新買的洋裝很相配。
nail varnish
The beauty shop sells over fifty shades of nail varnish in every colour imaginable.
那家美妝店販售五十多種顏色的指甲油，應有盡有。
fifty shades of nail varnish
Ingrid removed the chipped varnish from her nails before applying a fresh coat.
Ingrid 在塗新的一層之前先把指甲上剝落的指甲油去除。
The bottle of clear nail varnish tipped over on the table and left a sticky puddle.
那瓶透明指甲油在桌上翻倒了，留下一灘黏黏的痕跡。
- nail polish
standard American English term for the same product
- nail lacquer
a formal or commercial term for high-quality nail varnish
文法句型
nail varnish
varnish + noun
用法筆記
In British English, 'nail varnish' is the standard term. In American English, 'nail polish' is preferred instead.
常見錯誤
4. an attractive outer appearance that hides an unpleasant, less attractive, or dis
表面虛飾
掩蓋真實情況的表面光鮮
an attractive outer appearance that hides an unpleasant, less attractive, or disappointing reality underneath.
Behind the thin varnish of polite conversation lay years of unresolved family conflict.
在客套談話的薄薄虛飾背後，是多年來未解決的家庭衝突。
a varnish of + abstract noun
The company's cheerful advertisements were merely a varnish hiding serious financial trouble.
該公司歡樂的廣告不過是掩蓋嚴重財務問題的表面修飾罷了。
Rania saw through the varnish of the politician's speech and recognised the empty promises.
Rania 看穿了政客言辭中的虛飾，認清了那些空洞的承諾。
Tomás and Lara's friendship had a thin varnish of warmth that cracked under any real disagreement.
Tomás 和 Lara 的友誼只有一層薄薄的表面修飾，在真正的分歧面前就會破裂。
- substance
the genuine and important content beneath surface appearances
文法句型
a varnish of + noun
用法筆記
This figurative sense is always followed by 'of + noun' describing what is attractive on the surface. Frequently paired with 'thin' (a thin varnish of...) to emphasise the fragility of the surface appearance.
varnished — 動詞
- varnishedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- varnisheds3rd person singular
- varnisheding-ing form
- varnishededpast simple
1. to put a clear, shiny liquid onto a wooden or other surface in order to protect
塗清漆
在木質表面塗上保護性透明漆
to put a clear, shiny liquid onto a wooden or other surface in order to protect it and make it look glossy and attractive.
Rania spent the weekend varnishing the old wooden chairs for the new café.
Rania 花了整個週末為新咖啡館的舊木椅塗清漆。
varnishing + object (chairs)
Aoi carefully varnished the bookshelf with a fine brush, working along the grain of the wood.
Aoi 用細刷子沿著木紋小心地為書架塗清漆。
varnished + object
The carpenter varnished the oak table and left it to dry overnight in the sun.
木匠在橡木桌上塗了清漆，然後讓它晾乾一整夜。
You should varnish the window frames every two years to keep them in good condition.
你應該每兩年為窗框塗一次清漆，以保持良好狀態。
Kevin varnished the wooden boat and admired its fresh, glossy reflection in the water.
Kevin 為木船塗了清漆，欣賞著它在水中嶄新的光澤倒影。
文法句型
varnish + noun (object being coated)
用法筆記
The object is usually a wooden object or surface. The verb describes both the action of spreading the liquid and the purpose of protection or beautification.
常見錯誤
2. to present something unpleasant or negative in a way that makes it seem better o
粉飾
美化負面真相使其看似美好
to present something unpleasant or negative in a way that makes it seem better or more acceptable than it really is.
The annual report varnished the company's losses with optimistic predictions for next year.
年度報告以對來年的樂觀預測粉飾了公司的虧損。
varnished + noun (losses) — figurative
Putri tried to varnish her poor exam results by listing better marks from other subjects.
Putri 試圖粉飾自己考試成績不佳的事實，列舉其他科目的高分來轉移焦點。
The documentary showed how the regime had varnished its record for international audiences.
這部紀錄片揭露了該政權如何粉飾其紀錄以博取國際認同。
Historians argue that the biography varnishes the general's harsh decisions and leaves out key facts.
史學家認為這本傳記粉飾了將軍的嚴厲決策，並遺漏了關鍵事實。
- gloss over
a phrasal verb with the same meaning; more common in everyday informal English
- whitewash
to deliberately hide unpleasant facts, especially about a person or organisation; stronger and more negative than 'varnish'
- sugar-coat
to make something unpleasant seem more pleasant; often used about personal communication rather than official reports
文法句型
varnish + noun (facts, truth, reality)
用法筆記
This figurative sense has a negative connotation — it implies that someone is being dishonest or misleading by presenting a prettier version of reality. The object is typically an abstract noun (truth, facts, record, losses, reality).
常見錯誤
3. to add decorative, interesting, or impressive details to a spoken or written acc
修飾
添加裝飾細節使之更吸引人
to add decorative, interesting, or impressive details to a spoken or written account in order to make it more appealing.
Femi varnished his retirement speech with quotations from famous philosophers.
Femi 引用著名哲學家的話來修飾他的退休演說。
varnished + speech — figurative embellishment
The novelist varnished the simple love story with vivid descriptions of the Italian countryside.
這位小說家用對義大利鄉村生動的描述來修飾這個簡單的愛情故事。
Joon varnished his travel diary with colourful anecdotes about the people he had met.
Joon 用關於他所遇到人們的各種趣聞來修飾他的旅行日記。
Uncle Kofi varnished his campaign speech with heroic tales of his early career.
Kofi 叔叔用早年職涯的英勇故事來修飾他的競選演說。
- strip down
to remove decorative or unnecessary elements, leaving only the essentials
文法句型
varnish + noun (speech, story, account)
用法筆記
This sense is distinct from sense 2 because it describes adding attractive details for beauty or entertainment — not necessarily to hide something negative. It is quite rare in modern English; 'embellish' is more common.