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.

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

A fine for fans shining lasers at players on the pitch was also reduced by Caf.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

One night a young witch was walking in the wintry woods of her human world when she caught the silver light of the moon shining through a rip between the worlds.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

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