shine
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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to give forth or glow with light; shed or cast light.
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(of light) to appear brightly or strongly, especially uncomfortably so.
Wear dark glasses so the sun won't shine in your eyes.
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to be or appear unusually animated or bright, as the eyes or face.
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to appear with brightness or clearness, as feelings.
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to excel or be conspicuous.
to shine in school.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb phrase
idioms
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take a shine to, to take a liking or fancy to.
That little girl has really taken a shine to you.
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come rain or shine, Also
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regardless of the weather.
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no matter what the circumstances may be.
Come rain or shine, he is always on the job.
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noun
verb
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(intr) to emit light
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(intr) to glow or be bright with reflected light
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(tr) to direct the light of (a lamp, etc)
he shone the torch in my eyes
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(tr; past tense and past participle shined) to cause to gleam by polishing
to shine shoes
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(intr) to be conspicuously competent; excel
she shines at tennis
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(intr) to appear clearly; be conspicuous
the truth shone out of his words
noun
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the state or quality of shining; sheen; lustre
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whatever the weather
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regardless of circumstances
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informal short for moonshine
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informal a liking or fancy (esp in the phrase take a shine to )
Related Words
Shine, beam, glare refer to the emitting or reflecting of light. Shine refers to a steady glowing or reflecting of light: to shine in the sun. That which beams gives forth a radiant or bright light: to beam like a star. Glare refers to the shining of a light that is not only bright but so strong as to be unpleasant and dazzling: to glare like a headlight.
Other Word Forms
- unshined adjective
Etymology
Origin of shine1
First recorded before 900; Middle English verb shinen, shinnen, Old English scīnan; cognate with Dutch schijnen, German scheinen, Old Norse skīna, Gothic skeinan
Origin of shine1
First recorded in 1935–40; by shortening
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The building was lit with bright spotlights hanging from the ceiling, shining down on three large circus rings.
From Literature
“You’ll have your turn to shine, as long as you keep trying. You must always keep trying.”
From Literature
“Reservoir” aims, of course, to shine a light on the condition of loneliness.
From Los Angeles Times
On Sunday, she suggested she would seek "proper understanding from neighbouring countries" before visiting Yasakuni, a shine honouring war dead that she has been to on many occasions.
From Barron's
The researchers also identified why sea silk maintains its golden shine for centuries.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
