tarnish

Universal Words verb, noun verb 1 if metal tarnishes or sth tarnishes it, it no longer looks bright and shiny: [V] The mirrors had tarnished with age. * [VN] The silver candlesticks were tarnished and dusty. 2 [VN] to spoil the good opinion people have of sb/sth: He hopes to improve the newspaper's somewhat tarnished public image. noun [sing.,U] a thin layer on the surface of a metal that makes it look dull and not bright