shine

1 of 2

verb

shone ˈshōn How to pronounce shine (audio)
especially Canadian and British
ˈshän How to pronounce shine (audio)
or shined; shining

intransitive verb

1
: to emit rays of light
2
: to be bright by reflection of light
3
a
: to be eminent, conspicuous, or distinguished
shines in math
b
: to perform extremely well
when will stocks really shine again?Temma Ehrenfeld
4
: to have a bright glowing appearance
his face shone with enthusiasm
5
: to be conspicuously evident or clear

transitive verb

1
a
: to cause to emit light
b
: to throw or direct the light of
2
past tense and past participle shined : to make bright by polishing
shined his shoes

shine

2 of 2

noun

1
: brightness caused by the emission of light
2
: brightness caused by the reflection of light : luster
the shine of polished silver
3
: brilliance, splendor
still has a shine about her
4
: fair weather : sunshine
rain or shine
5
: trick, caper
usually used in plural
6
: liking, fancy
took a shine to him
7
a
: a polish or gloss given to shoes
b
: a single polishing of a pair of shoes

Examples of shine in a Sentence

Verb The sun was shining through the clouds. lamps shining from the windows She found a sport where she can really shine. Noun the shine of polished silver He had a nice shine on his shoes. Would you like a shine?
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The four-time NBA champion is a global superstar from his basketball career, and running for office would instantly shine a different spotlight on him. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 There are probably more blooper moments for me than there are shining, great moments. Emily Heil, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024 The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and shines a spotlight on unique stories. Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 The lease shines a spotlight on the lack of interest to date from large life science firms in the downtown market. Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2024 As 75 unions, employers, and nonprofits attest, the Senate healthcare price transparency legislation finally shines a light on healthcare prices and empowers health plans to substantially reduce crushing costs. Kevin Lyons, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2024 The laws are shining a light on the debate over the balance between keeping children safe online and speech protections guaranteed by the First Amendment. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 Goyo’s Daughter Shines on Stage Goyo and her young daughter, Saba, had a shining moment this week when the pre-teen shared her talent on stage with CeeLo Green. Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 16 Mar. 2024 The experiments literally shine a new light on the proton. Quanta Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024
Noun
Ohio, a longtime predictor of presidents, has lost much of its shine as a bellwether state. Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 20 Mar. 2024 Lee has been a fun pickup, sure, but the Giants failed with shortstop Marco Luciano this spring, the shine of the Matt Chapman signing was tarnished by the way J.D. Davis’ exit was handled, and fans are still peeved about Brandon Crawford leaving (please stop emailing me). Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024 One tablespoon of butter in the ganache makes all the difference in the world, adding shine and extra silkiness to the glaze. Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 14 Mar. 2024 The coach had also surrounded the hometown hero with experienced transfers who, after starring at their former programs, were selfless enough to help a generational young talent shine. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Unlike wood and tile floors, terrazzo is designed to develop a smooth shine over the years, and should never need replacing. Grace Banks, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 For more shine, simply layer it on and reap the moisturizing benefits of botanical and grape oils. Jenny Berg, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2024 This cream contains oat peptides, which help to protect and lock in moisture, giving my hair a healthy shine. Essence, 5 Mar. 2024 Just half a pump adds major shine to Tandon’s long hair. Neha Tandon, Glamour, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Old English scīnan; akin to Old High German skīnan to shine and perhaps to Greek skia shadow

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shine was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near shine

Cite this Entry

“Shine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shine. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shine

1 of 2 verb
shone ˈshōn How to pronounce shine (audio) or shined; shining
1
: to give light
the stars shone brightly
2
: to be glossy : gleam
polished the buttons until they shone like gold
3
: to be outstanding : show talent
on stage where I could really shine
4
: to cause to give light
shine a flashlight
5
: to make bright by polishing
shined my shoes

shine

2 of 2 noun
1
: brightness from light given off or reflected
2
: fair weather : sunshine
rain or shine
3
: liking, fancy
took a shine to them
4
: a polish given to shoes

More from Merriam-Webster on shine

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