Make Your Point > Archived Issues > BURNISH
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pronounce
BURNISH:
Say it "BURN ish."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
When something is burnished, does that mean it's burned? Like set on fire?
No, but it does involve friction. By polishing a wood or metal surface again and again, you make it glossy and richly colored, and that's burnishing.
You can also burnish colors, or burnish paper. Here's the artist Amie Howard doing some burnishing: grinding down the paper's texture (or "tooth") and making the once-grainy colors appear more smooth, solid, shiny, and glossy:
Speaking of making colors appear more beautiful, see if you can recall the word for the artistic technique shown below. Applied figuratively, this word means "toning down, mellowing out, or enriching with a beautiful layer:" s____ling.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
Our word "burnish" comes from an Old French one meaning "brown" or "polished." It appears to be unrelated to the word "burn."
Literally speaking, to burnish something (like wood or metal) is to make it shiny by polishing it.
So, something burnished seems richly colored and shiny, as if it's been polished. For example, some dress shoes have a burnished toe:
And figuratively, to burnish something (like an image or a reputation) is to make it seem famous, glorious, or beautiful, as if by polishing it until it shines.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Verb, the transitive kind: "She burnished the tips of the shoes;" "He burnished his speech with dramatic anecdotes."
Other forms:
Burnished, burnishing; burnisher(s); burnishable.
how to use it:
The word "burnish" is formal, literary, and semi-common. It calls to mind images of gleaming gold, silver, chrome, or copper. So, it's great for calling special attention to someone's effort to shine something up.
We might talk literally about a burnished item, material, or color: "burnished pewter;" "the burnished frame of the mirror;" "Her face shone like burnished gold."
And we might talk figuratively about a burnished speech, script, resume, history, reputation, etc.
examples:
"The red steel was burnished to such a high sheen that it shone like fire in the light of the rising sun."
— George R. R. Martin, A Game of Thrones, 1996
"Mr. Parmar, a self-described expert in how to influence search results, has recently taken steps to burnish his own reputation... Articles began appearing online casting him in glowing terms."
— Aaron Krolik and Kashmir Hill, New York Times, 24 April 2021
has this page helped you understand "burnish"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "burnish" without saying "polish" or "shine up."
try it out:
Check out these lyrics from the musical The Fantasticks:
"For the story is not ended
And the play is never done
Until we’ve all of us been burned a bit
And burnished by the sun!"
Talk about what the singer means by everyone being both burned and burnished by the "sun:" that is, by the harsh reality of real life experiences.
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Country Song, or Springer Episode?
Be warned: this month's game is in poor taste. I had so much fun creating it, so what does that say about me? And if you're good at it, what does that say about you? Oh, snap.
Country songs and Jerry Springer episodes have something in common: their self-aware, over-the-top titles. It's clear that the creators of both enjoyed poking fun at their genre. In each round of the game this month, check out a handful of titles, and see if you can decide whether each belongs to a country song or a Jerry Springer episode. For the answers, scroll all the way down.
Try these today:
1. Leaving You and Lovin' It
2. Redneck Martians Stole My Baby
3. If The Phone Don't Ring, You’ll Know It's Me
review this word:
A. ILL.
B. RAW.
C. DULL.
2.
Apparently Miss Hannigan preferred her ____ burnished: "_____."
A. hairstyles .. Someday I'll straighten their curls
B. accessories .. Some women are drippin' with diamonds; some women are drippin' with pearls
C. floors .. And if those floors don't shine like the top of the Chrysler Building, your backsides will
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
When something is burnished, does that mean it's burned? Like set on fire?
Our word "burnish" comes from an Old French one meaning "brown" or "polished." It appears to be unrelated to the word "burn."
Part of speech:
The word "burnish" is formal, literary, and semi-common. It calls to mind images of gleaming gold, silver, chrome, or copper. So, it's great for calling special attention to someone's effort to shine something up.
"The red steel was burnished to such a high sheen that it shone like fire in the light of the rising sun."
Explain the meaning of "burnish" without saying "polish" or "shine up."
Check out these lyrics from the musical The Fantasticks:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
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