Words / C2

BURN-ish/ˈbɜːnɪʃ/

To burnish is to polish a surface until it shines, or to enhance a reputation: burnish the silver, burnish a name. Polish (already in the dictionary) is everyday; lustre (already in the dictionary) is the sheen or the glory, not the verb. Sedulous (already in the dictionary) branding still leaves a chained door; shine the ranking after the n is a number.

Meaning

To polish a surface until it shines; also to enhance a reputation.

Examples

• “Burnish the ranking after you fill the n.”
• “Polish is everyday (already in B2). Lustre is the sheen (already in C2). Resplendent is dazzling (already in C2). A well-kept badge can be exact. A gleam that never states the cell is theatre. Write the number; then the metal may shine.”

Good to know

Polish; enhance a reputation. Everyday: polish (already in this dictionary). Close noun: lustre (already in C2). Contrast: sedulous (persistent effort — already in C2). Sheen ≠ an n.

Near in meaning

polish, shine, buff, enhance

New