# tarnish

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈtɑːnɪʃ/ · frequency rank #35,107

## Definitions
1. Oxidation or discoloration, especially of a decorative metal exposed to air.

## Etymology
From Middle English ternysshen, from Old French terniss-, stem of ternir (“to make dim, make wan”), borrowed from Old High German *ternen, tarnen, from Proto-West Germanic *darnijan (“to conceal”). Doublet of dern and darn.

## Easily confused with
- **Trish** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tarnish-vs-trish)
- **Turkish** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tarnish-vs-turkish)
- **tarnished** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tarnish-vs-tarnished)
- **tardis** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tardis-vs-tarnish)

## Common misspellings (11)
`atrnish`, `tanrish`, `tarinsh`, `tarnihs`, `tarnishh`, `tarnissh`, `tarnnish`, `tarnsih`, `tarrnish`, `tranish`, `ttarnish`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tarnish