shining
- radiant; gleaming; bright.
- resplendent; brilliant: shining talents.
- conspicuously fine: a shining example.
Origin of shining
Synonyms for shining
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comSynonym study
shine
1- to give forth or glow with light; shed or cast light.
- to be bright with reflected light; glisten; sparkle.
- (of light) to appear brightly or strongly, especially uncomfortably so: Wear dark glasses so the sun won't shine in your eyes.
- to be or appear unusually animated or bright, as the eyes or face.
- to appear with brightness or clearness, as feelings.
- to excel or be conspicuous: to shine in school.
- to cause to shine.
- to direct the light of (a lamp, mirror, etc.): Shine the flashlight on the steps so I can see.
- to put a gloss or polish on; polish (as shoes, silverware, etc.).
- radiance or brightness caused by emitted or reflected light.
- luster; polish.
- sunshine; fair weather.
- a polish or gloss given to shoes.
- an act or instance of polishing shoes.
- Informal. a foolish prank; caper.
- Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a black person.
- shine up to, Informal.
- to attempt to impress (a person), especially in order to gain benefits for oneself.
- to become especially attentive to (one of the opposite sex): Men shine up to her like moths to a light.
- come rain or shine,
- regardless of the weather.
- no matter what the circumstances may be: Come rain or shine, he is always on the job.
- take a shine to, Informal. to take a liking or fancy to: That little girl has really taken a shine to you.
Origin of shine
1Synonyms for shine
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comRelated Words for shining
radiant, glistening, luminous, gleaming, shimmering, brilliant, splendid, glorious, sparkling, bright, lustrous, scintillating, shiny, conspicuous, incandescent, distinguished, glazed, beaming, glossy, sleekExamples from the Web for shining
Contemporary Examples of shining
As Randy notes, “Maybe there is a value in shining a light on this and asking the questions.”
This award is fought over tooth-and-nail each year by political consultants from sea to shining sea.
The Strangest, Cheesiest, Most Brazenly False Political Ads of 2014Jack Holmes, The Daily Beast Video
November 3, 2014
They were, if you believed the Soviet propaganda machine, a shining example of communism at work.
Putin’s Hockey Pal Tells All: Slava Fetisov on ‘Red Army,’ Soviet Nostalgia, and What Drives PutinMarlow Stern
October 9, 2014
Call it LANifest destiny: the sense the Internet should be available, everywhere, from sea to shining sea.
Tonight, millions of Americans from sea to shining sea will gasp at a night sky filled with brilliant colors and loud explosions.
Historical Examples of shining
See how their shining hair sparkles on the surface of the waters!
PhilotheaLydia Maria Child
In from the shining sea late that afternoon steamed the Viluca.
The SpendersHarry Leon Wilson
"I'll prove to you that I am worthy of your trust," she said with shining eyes.
Grace Harlowe's Return to Overton CampusJessie Graham Flower
The morning sun had always called him to a new day, and the sun was shining.
KMary Roberts Rinehart
He held my hands when we parted and looked into my eyes, and I saw that his own were shining.
The Bacillus of BeautyHarriet Stark
shine
- (intr) to emit light
- (intr) to glow or be bright with reflected light
- (tr) to direct the light of (a lamp, etc)he shone the torch in my eyes
- (tr; past tense and past participle shined) to cause to gleam by polishingto shine shoes
- (intr) to be conspicuously competent; excelshe shines at tennis
- (intr) to appear clearly; be conspicuousthe truth shone out of his words
- the state or quality of shining; sheen; lustre
- rain or shine or come rain or shine
- whatever the weather
- regardless of circumstances
- informal short for moonshine (def. 2)
- informal a liking or fancy (esp in the phrase take a shine to)
Word Origin for shine
Word Origin and History for shining
shine
Old English scinan "shed light, be radiant, be resplendent, iluminate," of persons, "be conspicuous" (class I strong verb; past tense scan, past participle scinen), from Proto-Germanic *skinan (cf. Old Saxon and Old High German skinan, Old Norse and Old Frisian skina, Dutch schijnen, German scheinen, Gothic skeinan "to shine, appear"), from PIE root *skai- (2) "to gleam, shine, flicker" (cf. Sanskrit chaya "brilliance, luster; shadow," Greek skia "shade," Old Church Slavonic sinati "to flash up, shine," Albanian he "shadow"). Transitive meaning "to black (boots)" is from 1610s. Related: Shined (in the shoe polish sense), otherwise shone; shining.
shine
1520s, "brightness," from shine (v.). Meaning "polish given to a pair of boots" is from 1871. Derogatory meaning "black person" is from 1908. Phrase to take a shine to "fancy" is American English slang from 1839, perhaps from shine up to "attempt to please as a suitor." Shiner is from late 14c. as "something that shines;" sense of "black eye" first recorded 1904.
Idioms and Phrases with shining
shine
In addition to the idiom beginning with shine
- shine up to
also see:
- make hay while the sun shines
- rain or shine
- rise and shine
- take a fancy (shine) to