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Synonyms

sheeny

1 American  
[shee-nee] / ˈʃi ni /

adjective

sheenier, sheeniest

  1. shining; lustrous.

sheeny 2 American  
[shee-nee] / ˈʃi ni /
Or sheeney,

noun

Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive.

plural

sheenies

  1. a contemptuous term used to refer to a Jew.

sheeny British  
/ ˈʃiːnɪ /

noun

  1. slang a derogatory word for a Jew

"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

Etymology

Origin of sheeny1

First recorded in 1615–25; sheen + -y 1

Origin of sheeny2

First recorded in 1810–20; origin obscure

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.

Its pink-and-green neon parrot sign lit the way to some of the most satisfying chili cheese fries I’ve ever eaten: crinkle-cut potatoes, sheeny Velveeta-yellow cheese sauce, chili ladled from a mini-crockpot in the back.

From Salon • Sep. 16, 2025

So: The sharp, sheeny person doing step-and-repeats at the Tonys?

From New York Times • Jul. 24, 2023

It also lacked Lagerfeld tongue-in-cheek attitude — despite an attempt by the designer that felt false with flourishes such as chained hip flasks or sheeny logo-emblazoned black wellies.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 8, 2022

The brand, whose sheeny razzmatazz attracted stars including Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren in its 60s and 70s heyday, seemed to have found in Theyskens the right ambassador.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 24, 2022

Gauze-winged dragon-flies darted hither and thither while butterflies of every hue sailed by on wings of sheeny bronze.

From In Doublet and Hose A Story for Girls by De Land, Clyde Osmer

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.