burnish
2 synonyms and 1 antonym for burnish, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To rub a surface until it is smooth and shiny.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
Etymology
The verb derives from Middle English burnishen, burnysshen ("to polish, burnish; (figuratively) to brighten, give lustre to; to clean (something) until shiny; to decorate (with something shiny), adorn") and other forms, from burniss-, a stem of Old French burnir (compare, for example, the first-person present singular...
Full origin of burnish →