polished

1 of 2

adjective

pol·​ished ˈpä-lisht How to pronounce polished (audio)
Synonyms of polished
1
: subjected to polishing : made smooth and glossy by or as if by polishing
a polished surface
polished silver
2
: characterized by a high degree of development, finish, or refinement : free from imperfections
a polished performance/performer
a highly polished piece of writing
3
somewhat old-fashioned : characterized by elegance and refinement
a polished gentleman
polished society

polished

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of polish entry 1

Synonyms of polished

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of polished in a Sentence

Adjective she could see her face reflected in the polished hood of the car showing the polished manners of a cosmopolitan woman
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Though the inside is upscale, eclectic, cozy and polished, anyone is welcome in the space, from blue-collar laborers to lawyers, Blum said. — Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2026 As the evening unfolds, casual remarks sharpen, silences deepen, and every polished courtesy seems to carry another meaning. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 30 Oct. 2026 Replace Algorithmic Perfection With Human Choices As AI makes polished content easier to produce, perfection becomes less distinctive. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026 Her penchant for polished and voluminous hair and luminous skin feels romantic without veering into the overly sweet. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for polished

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English polisshed, from past participle of polisshen to polish

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of polished was in the 14th century

Rhymes for polished

See All Rhymes for polished

Browse Nearby Words

Polish Corridor
polished
polished rice
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Polished.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polished. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All