POLISH UP

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does polish up mean? 

• POLISH UP (verb)
  The verb POLISH UP has 1 sense:

1. bring to a highly developed, finished, or refined state

  Familiarity information: POLISH UP used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• POLISH UP (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Bring to a highly developed, finished, or refined state

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

brush up; polish; polish up; round; round off

Context example:

polish your social manners

Hypernyms (to "polish up" is one way to...):

hone; perfect (make perfect or complete)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

 Context examples 

Polish up my other talents, and be an ornament to society, if I get the chance.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

At these times, Mr. Micawber would be transported with grief and mortification, even to the length (as I was once made aware by a scream from his wife) of making motions at himself with a razor; but within half-an-hour afterwards, he would polish up his shoes with extraordinary pains, and go out, humming a tune with a greater air of gentility than ever.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

She had to wash the cups every morning, and polish up the old-fashioned spoons, the fat silver teapot, and the glasses till they shone.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)