Synonyms

shining

American

[shahy-ning] / ˈʃaɪ nɪŋ /

adjective

radiant; gleaming; bright.

Synonyms:

effulgent
resplendent; brilliant.

shining talents.

Synonyms:

lustrous
conspicuously fine.

a shining example.

Synonyms:

splendid, prime, eminent, distinguished, outstanding

Related Words

See bright.

Other Word Forms

self-shining adjective
shiningly adverb
unshining adjective

Etymology

Origin of shining

First recorded before 900; Middle English s(c)hininge, schininde, Old English scinende; shine ¹, -ing ²

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 experiments revealed that shining light on the crystals causes their internal lattice to shift quickly.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

And, as much as I hate to unwittingly side with network executives, a new iteration that featured Gellar as anything other than its shining star wouldn’t have the dynamism of the original series.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

Philosophy and theology are now joined by machine intelligence in shining a light on what is human.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

This is how I turn chatbot-generated personal statements into shining portraits of undeserving applicants, for a price.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

Instantly he closed them: Some kind of floating globe of light was shining right in his face, blinding him.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023