Polishing
/ˈpɑːlɪʃɪŋ/
nounverbB1present participle
Definition
Polishing is the action or process of rubbing a surface to make it smooth and shiny. It can be done on objects like shoes, furniture, or metal. Polishing can also mean improving or finishing something, like a piece of writing or a skill, to make it better or more complete.
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See It in Action
Making a surface smooth and shiny by rubbing
- •He spent an hour polishing his shoes before the party.
- •The car was polishing to remove scratches and make it shine.
- •Polishing the silverware makes it look clean and bright.
Improving or finishing something to make it better
- •She is polishing her speech before the presentation.
- •The author is polishing the last chapter of the book.
- •Practicing every day helped him polish his piano skills.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "polishing" like "cleaning," but instead of just removing dirt, it makes the surface shiny and smooth.
- ✓Picture rubbing a shoe with a cloth until it looks bright and new.
- ✓It's the feeling when you see your hands after washing and drying them carefully to look neat.
- ✓Sounds like "POL-ish-ing" → imagine "pollish" as "pull" + "sh" sound, like pulling dirt away softly to reveal shine.
- ✓Remember how artists or workers smooth wood or metal to make it look beautiful and feel nice to touch.
- ✓NOT like "washing" (which removes dirt but may not make shine), polishing adds shine and smoothness.
- ✓NOT like "painting" (which covers with color), polishing improves the surface itself.
- ✓NOT like "fixing" (which repairs damage), polishing refines and perfects the surface or skill.
Try Other Words
- •Shining: making something bright by reflecting light (Use when focusing on the brightness and light reflection)
- •Buffing: rubbing a surface to make it smooth and shiny (Use especially for cars or metals)
- •Refining: improving something to make it better (Use when talking about skills or ideas)
- •Finishing: completing the last touches to improve quality (Use when talking about final improvements)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: polish (root) + -ing (suffix showing action or process)
- •Etymology: From Old French "polir," from Latin "polire" meaning "to smooth, make polished"
- •Historical development: Used since Middle Ages to describe smoothing surfaces, later extended to mean improving or perfecting
- •Modern usage: Commonly used for cleaning and shining objects, also for improving skills, writing, or work before final use
Reflect & Connect
•How does polishing an object compare to polishing a skill or idea? What is similar and what is different?
•Can polishing sometimes remove too much or change something too much? How would you decide the right amount?
Fill in the blanks
1.Polishing a wooden table makes the surface ___ and ___ to touch.
2.She is polishing her essay to ___ the grammar and ___ the ideas clearly.
3.Unlike washing, polishing adds ___ and ___ to the object.
4.When you polish shoes, you usually use a cloth and ___ in small circles.
5.Polishing a skill requires ___ practice and ___ attention to details.
6.After polishing the metal, it looked ___ and free from ___.
7.He spent time polishing his presentation because he wanted to ___ a good impression.