shine

¹

[ shahyn ]

verb (used without object)

, shone [shohn, shon] or shined, shin·ing [shahy, -ning].

1. to give forth or glow with light; shed or cast light.

   Synonyms: shimmer, glimmer

2. to be bright with reflected light; glisten; sparkle.
3. (of light) to appear brightly or strongly, especially uncomfortably so:

   Wear dark glasses so the sun won't shine in your eyes.

4. to be or appear unusually animated or bright, as the eyes or face.
5. to appear with brightness or clearness, as feelings.
6. to excel or be conspicuous:

   to shine in school.

verb (used with object)

, shone [shohn, shon] or shined, shin·ing [shahy, -ning].

1. to cause to shine.
2. to direct the light of (a lamp, mirror, etc.):

   Shine the flashlight on the steps so I can see.

3. to put a gloss or polish on; polish (as shoes, silverware, etc.).

   Synonyms: brighten, burnish, buff

noun

1. radiance or brightness caused by emitted or reflected light.
2. luster; polish.

   Synonyms: sheen, glow, gleam, gloss

3. sunshine; fair weather.
4. a polish or gloss given to shoes.
5. an act or instance of polishing shoes.
6. Informal. a foolish prank; caper.
7. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a Black person.

verb phrase

1. Informal.
   1. to attempt to impress (a person), especially in order to gain benefits for oneself.
   2. to become especially attentive to (a potential romantic partner):

      Men shine up to her like moths to a light.

shine

²

[ shahyn ]

noun

, Slang.

1. moonshine ( def 1 ).

shine

/ ʃaɪn /

verb

1. intr to emit light
2. intr to glow or be bright with reflected light
3. tr to direct the light of (a lamp, etc)

   he shone the torch in my eyes

4. tr; past tense and past participle shined to cause to gleam by polishing

   to shine shoes

5. intr to be conspicuously competent; excel

   she shines at tennis

6. intr to appear clearly; be conspicuous

   the truth shone out of his words

noun

1. the state or quality of shining; sheen; lustre
2. rain or shine or come rain or shine
   1. whatever the weather
   2. regardless of circumstances
3. informal.
   short for moonshine
4. informal.
   a liking or fancy (esp in the phrase take a shine to )

Other Words From

• un·shined adjective

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of shine¹

Old English scīnan; related to Old Norse skīna, Gothic skeinan, Old High German scīnan to shine, Greek skia shadow

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. come rain or shine, Also .
   1. regardless of the weather.
   2. no matter what the circumstances may be:

      Come rain or shine, he is always on the job.

2. take a shine to, Informal. to take a liking or fancy to:

   That little girl has really taken a shine to you.

More idioms and phrases containing shine

In addition to the idiom beginning with shine , also see make hay while the sun shines ; rain or shine ; rise and shine ; take a fancy (shine) to .

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Gifted children, more than others, tend to shine in certain ways and struggle in others, a phenomenon known as asynchronous development.

From Los Angeles Times

"Your light will continue to shine through the beauty you brought to this world," the company wrote on Instagram.

From BBC

The ship still shines bright in the memories of former CalMac crew members who have been reminiscing about their time on board.

From BBC

Recent media attention stemming from high-profile cases of ketamine use have shone a light on misuse.

From Salon

Beyoncé’s entry into the genre shined a light not only on her own relationship with country music, but also on the long journey of other Black country artists.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• gleam
• glitz
• gloss
• luster
• sheen
• shimmer
• sparkle