shine
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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shines,
present (3rd person singular)
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shone,
past participle, past
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shined,
past participle, past
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shining
present participle
-
to give forth or glow with light; shed or cast light.
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(of light) to appear brightly or strongly, especially uncomfortably so.
Wear dark glasses so the sun won't shine in your eyes.
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to be or appear unusually animated or bright, as the eyes or face.
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to appear with brightness or clearness, as feelings.
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to excel or be conspicuous.
to shine in school.
verb (used with object)
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shines,
present (3rd person singular)
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shone,
past participle, past
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shined,
past participle, past
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shining
present participle
noun
verb phrase
idioms
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take a shine to, to take a liking or fancy to.
That little girl has really taken a shine to you.
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come rain or shine, Also
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regardless of the weather.
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no matter what the circumstances may be.
Come rain or shine, he is always on the job.
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noun
verb
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(intr) to emit light
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(intr) to glow or be bright with reflected light
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(tr) to direct the light of (a lamp, etc)
he shone the torch in my eyes
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(tr; past tense and past participle shined) to cause to gleam by polishing
to shine shoes
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(intr) to be conspicuously competent; excel
she shines at tennis
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(intr) to appear clearly; be conspicuous
the truth shone out of his words
noun
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the state or quality of shining; sheen; lustre
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whatever the weather
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regardless of circumstances
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informal short for moonshine
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informal a liking or fancy (esp in the phrase take a shine to )
Synonym Usage
Shine, beam, glare refer to the emitting or reflecting of light. Shine refers to a steady glowing or reflecting of light: to shine in the sun. That which beams gives forth a radiant or bright light: to beam like a star. Glare refers to the shining of a light that is not only bright but so strong as to be unpleasant and dazzling: to glare like a headlight.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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shinesimple
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shinessimple
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have shinedperfect
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have shoneperfect
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has shinedperfect
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has shoneperfect
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am shiningprogressive
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are shiningprogressive
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is shiningprogressive
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have been shiningperfect progressive
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has been shiningperfect progressive
Past
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shinedsimple
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shonesimple
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had shinedperfect
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had shoneperfect
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was shiningprogressive
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were shiningprogressive
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had been shiningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of shine1
First recorded before 900; Middle English verb shinen, shinnen, Old English scīnan; cognate with Dutch schijnen, German scheinen, Old Norse skīna, Gothic skeinan
Origin of shine2
First recorded in 1935–40; by shortening
Explanation
To shine is to give off a bright, glowing light. Your porch light shines at night, and if the sky is clear and cloudless, the moon will shine too. The sun and a light bulb both shine, and things that simply reflect light can be said to shine too, like a diamond ring or clean, glossy hair. In a more figurative way, people shine when they stand out for doing something extremely well: "The lead actress really shines in her role as Lady Macbeth." The Old English root of shine is scinan, which means "shed light, be radiant, or illuminate," and also "be conspicuous."
Vocabulary lists containing shine
The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 5
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 ACT Reading Test: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 2
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The New SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words
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.
See Examples For:
The Savanna Stones of the internet are losing their shine, which is part of the reason Zand’s profile has struck a nerve.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
All conductors struggle with the contents of such inaugural bills, wanting them to shine a spotlight without seeming self-aggrandizing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Beesley, a documentary filmmaker and avid catfish noodler, had taken a shine to Walters during Mudcats’ run in 2012 and 2013.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
The 9/11 tribute twin light beams are pictured on the front page of the Financial Times, which shine every year on 11 September to commemorate the victims of the attack.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Maybe I kind of want to shine for something other than grades.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
The low-basis shares are where this strategy shines.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
Where the restaurant really shines, though, is its three-course brunch.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
And this is where the significance of the Saxony-Anhalt vote shines bright.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
If Bailey, at 6 feet 5 inches and 265 pounds, shines against the Chargers and does not make the roster, he seems like a longshot to clear waivers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
The sun, when you see it, shines high; there is no slow bleeding away of light into the darkness, as on the polar slopes of Earth where cold and night come on together.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
Though the rate of growth in the number of millionaires continues to be striking, UBS shined a light on adults with wealth between $5 million and $100 million.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
At his best, he shined as an amazing example of Christian charity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
Open, Osaka shined, reaching the women’s singles semifinals.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
Primm once shined as one of Nevada’s more popular gambling resorts.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
Then she and Mom talked for a long time about all these different creams and light treatments where I would go into this stand-up booth and have a specific type of light shined on me.
From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish
He also lauded Irish golfer Shane Lowry, who has shone at the Open so far, and Rory McIlroy, the Northern Irish defending champion who has previously played golf with the American leader.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
With Martinelli and Trossard both gone, there will be more opportunity for Eberechi Eze to play from the left wing, a position he shone in at former club Crystal Palace.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
The jump in U.S. borrowing costs—and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s intervention to bring them back down—has shone a spotlight not just on America’s growing debt problem but also on the world’s, reports Chelsey Dulaney.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
But Parton’s golden charisma shone ever brighter over the 218 episodes she appeared in until her departure in 1974.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
The walls of both were gleaming with a strange white-blue fungus that shone in the dark.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
Video showing the debris began circulating on social media Monday, showing Yemenis gathered around the body of a missile, the lights of their mobile phones shining across its fins, motor and serial number.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
Not long after sunset, Venus will appear as an intensely bright point of light low above the western horizon, shining more brightly than any star around it.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026
Dubbed a "one-woman WikiLeaks", Caruana Galizia had exposed corruption at the highest level in the country, shining a spotlight on murky links between Malta's business and political elites.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
As I walk into the heart of the 60th Notting Hill Carnival, the sun is shining and bouncing off the sequins, gems and sparkles of the costumes and decorations surrounding me.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
Penelope removed her knitted cap and shook out her shining auburn hair, which matched the Incorrigible children’s hair as perfectly as one sock matches its mate.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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.
