sheen
noun
luster; brightness; radiance.
sheen
1 American
[sheen]
/ ʃin /
Sheen
2
American
[sheen]
/ ʃin /
noun
sheen
British
/ ʃiːn /
noun
-
a gleaming or glistening brightness; lustre
-
poetic splendid clothing
adjective
Synonym Usage
See polish.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
sheensimple
-
sheenssimple
-
have sheenedperfect
-
has sheenedperfect
-
am sheeningprogressive
-
are sheeningprogressive
-
is sheeningprogressive
-
have been sheeningperfect progressive
-
has been sheeningperfect progressive
Past
-
sheenedsimple
-
had sheenedperfect
-
was sheeningprogressive
-
were sheeningprogressive
-
had been sheeningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sheen
First recorded before 900; (adjective) Middle English sheene “beautiful, bright, shining,” Old English scēne; cognate with German schön; (verb) Middle English s(c)henen, derivative of the adjective; (noun) derivative of the adjective
Explanation
A sheen is a quality of things that are shiny, usually with reflected light. Anything that shines has a sheen, like satin in candlelight or a beautiful head of hair. Shakespeare loved using words in fresh new ways, and he did that with the adjective for sheen (for “beautiful, bright”) in Hamlet. He used sheen as a noun, and it’s been that way ever since. A sheen is a luster that happens because of reflected light. A well-polished table has a sheen, as does a car that's just been washed. Shined shoes have a sheen. If it’s shiny and beautiful, it has a sheen.
Vocabulary lists containing sheen
Unit 1: Telling Details
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The City of Ember
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Skellig
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
It attracts some of the biggest names in the sector, with presenter Graham Norton, actor Michael Sheen and American comedian, writer and producer Tina Fey taking part in last year's event.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026
I mean no offense to Bettany or Michael Sheen, who recently signed on to reprise the role for a West End production set for spring of 2027.
From Salon • May 16, 2026
“We were both relieved we finished the story, but that’s within this really difficult, complicated, disturbing context,” Sheen said in an interview last year.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
Michael Sheen and It's a Sin star Callum Scott Howells will lead a major West End run - the first for a Welsh national theatre company.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
But he felt so out of place there—like a white man working at Afro Sheen headquarters, he liked to say—that he quit.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
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.
