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Synonyms

shiny

American  
[shahy-nee] / ˈʃaɪ ni /

adjective

shinier, shiniest
  1. bright or glossy in appearance.

    Synonyms:
    gleaming, shining, brilliant
  2. filled with light, as by sunshine.

    Synonyms:
    gleaming, shining, brilliant
  3. rubbed or worn to a glossy smoothness, as clothes.


shiny British  
/ ˈʃaɪnɪ /

adjective

  1. glossy or polished; bright

  2. (of clothes or material) worn to a smooth and glossy state, as by continual rubbing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of shiny

First recorded in 1580–90; shine 1 + -y 1

Explanation

Shiny describes something with a smooth, glossy surface. If you want to see your reflection in the glass table, you'll have to polish it to keep it shiny. Something shiny has a shine, a brightness that comes from reflecting light. Are you into shiny new cars, or shiny diamonds? Or do you like shiny, happy people? Good synonyms are lustrous, sheeny and glossy.

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Vocabulary lists containing shiny

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.

In Telegram messages exchanged with the BBC, Shiny Hunters said it had hacked Canvas twice before last Thursday's attack.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

Shiny snake-oil bottles and product bubbles have been around for centuries.

From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026

Shiny objects are so easy to come by these days, just like quick food.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2024

Shiny iron sulfide, familiar to many Coloradans as fool's gold, or pyrite, is the most common of these sulfide minerals, but copper, zinc and other metal sulfides are also common.

From Science Daily • Apr. 23, 2024

Shiny bits of glass and metal clinked in the breeze.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan

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