adjective
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glossy or polished; bright
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(of clothes or material) worn to a smooth and glossy state, as by continual rubbing
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of shiny
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.
Vocabulary lists containing shiny
Lyrics from "Umbrella" by Rihanna
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"A Suitcase of Seaweed" and "Immigrants Today"
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Sula
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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.
Once upon a time, Primm, Nev., had three bustling casino resorts, shiny gas stations, a roller coaster and Bonnie and Clyde’s “death car.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
The build-out does not stop because Wall Street found a new shiny object.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
But perhaps not if you plow all of those savings into shiny new technology.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
There are plenty of everyday gadgets too, from vacuum cleaners that can clear stains in seconds to shiny espresso machines and hair curlers.
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026
It was one of the new shiny red Bloomer engines, a flashy piece of engineering and full of pep, too.
From "The Hidden Gallery" 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.
