DictionaryAI

shine

SHYN/ʃaɪn/

Verbshines, shining, shone

Noun pluralshines

14 meanings of shine

Practice

  1. 1
    give off lightverbintransitive
    To give off light or look bright because light falls on it.

    Like a mirror catching the sun and lighting up.

    The stars shine brightly on a clear night.

    The candle shone softly in the window.

    UsageSay the sun shone. For polishing shoes, say shined.

    Similargleam, glow, glitter, sparkle, glisten

    Note
  2. 2
    excelverbintransitive
    To do something very well, so that people notice you.

    Like a bright star that stands out from all the others.

    Some kids shine in art class but struggle with math.

    Our team shone in the championship final.

    UsageSay she shines at sport, or shone in the final.

    Similarexcel, rock, slay

    Note
  3. 3
    glossnouncountable or uncountable
    Brightness or gloss. It is the light that something gives off or reflects.

    Like the glow you see on a calm lake at noon.

    The shine of the polished table caught my eye.

    I love the shine on a clean car.

    Similargloss, sheen, luster, polish, glow

    Oppositedullness

  4. 4
    verbtransitive
    To make a light or a surface send brightness onto something.

    Like turning a flashlight so its light lands where you want.

    Stagehands shine bright lamps on the lead actor during the solo.

    Can you shine the light over here so I can see?

    UsageShine a light on something.

    Similarlight, illuminate, illumine, irradiate

    Note
  5. 5
    show clearlyverbintransitive
    To be very easy to see or notice right away.

    Like a bright color that you notice the moment you look.

    Her kindness shines in everything she does.

    The truth will shine through eventually.

    UsageSay the truth shines through.

    Similarshow

  6. 6
    sunny weathernoununcountable
    Sunny weather, when it is not raining.

    The game will be played, rain or shine.

    She walks her dog every morning, rain or shine.

    UsageSay rain or shine. For sunny weather, say sunshine.

    Similarsun, sunlight

    Oppositerain

    Note
  7. 7
    polish by rubbingverbtransitive
    To rub something so it becomes bright and shiny.

    Like wiping a window until it sparkles clean.

    He shined his shoes before the interview.

    Please shine the silver before the guests arrive.

    UsageSay he shined his shoes.

    Similarpolish, buff, burnish

    Oppositedull, tarnish

    Note
  8. 8
    noununcountable
    Great quality or beauty that makes something stand out.

    Like the sparkle of a brand-new toy on its first day.

    One bad game took the shine off a great season.

    Years of neglect took the shine off the old mansion.

    UsageTake the shine off something means make it less good.

    Similarbrilliance, splendor

  9. 9
    nouncountable
    A polish that makes shoes look smooth and bright.

    Like a fresh coat of wax that makes a car gleam.

    He stopped for a quick shine before the meeting.

    The old stand still offers a shine for two dollars.

    UsageSay give your shoes a shine.

    Similarpolish, buff

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of shine apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–6, 8–13

From Old English scīnan, meaning "to shine." It goes back to older Germanic words with the same meaning.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

  • Shine descends from Old English scīnan, meaning 'to shine'. en.wiktionary.org
  • The Old English verb descends from earlier Germanic forms with the same meaning. en.wiktionary.org
Meaning 7

Probably from the noun shine, though it may instead come from older verbs meaning "to make something bright."

Checked 3 Nov 2026 · 1 fact