tarnishing

Verb

tarnish (third-person singular simple present tarnishes, present participle tarnishing, simple past and past participle tarnished)

1. (intransitive) To oxidize or discolor due to oxidation.
   • Careful storage of silver will prevent it from tarnishing.

   Synonyms:

   oxidate, oxygenize

2. (transitive) To compromise, damage, soil, or sully.
   • He is afraid that she will tarnish his reputation if he disagrees with her.

   Synonyms:

   befoul, inquinate, denigrate, blot, assoil, beclart, bedaub, bedirty, imbrue (especially with blood), bedizen

3. (figuratively, intransitive) To lose its lustre or attraction; to become dull.
   • Till thy freſh Glories, vvhich novv ſhine ſo bright, / Grovv Stale and Tarniſh vvith our daily ſight.1681, [John Dryden], Absalom and Achitophel. A Poem, London: […] J[acob] T[onson] and are to be sold by W. Davis […], →OCLC, page 8

   Synonyms:

   dull, dullen, leaden, pall

4. To use a sign, image, expression, etc. sufficiently close to a trademarked one that it brings disrepute to it.

See all 5 meanings of tarnish