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
Temma Ehrenfeld4
: to have a bright glowing appearance
his face shone with enthusiasm
5
: to be conspicuously evident or clear
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
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
7
a
: a polish or gloss given to shoes
b
: a single polishing of a pair of shoes
Synonyms
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 WebCatherine Santino, Peoplemag, 26 Apr. 2024
Make your dishes shine To make your ceramic dishware look like new:
Rise your dish with water.
—USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024
For that matter, would a single shining sentence of Updike’s really have been different with another editor?
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2024
Reality Check is a Sacramento Bee series holding officials and organizations accountable and shining a light on their decisions.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 24 Apr. 2024
But, turns out, that’s still not nearly enough to get the U.K. a shining review.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 24 Apr. 2024
The spotlight shined on great literature Friday night at the 44th Los Angeles Times Book Prizes ceremony at USC’s Bovard Auditorium, where winners took the stage to celebrate their honors and, in some cases, call attention to the free speech controversy unfolding on campus.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
The experiments literally shine a new light on the proton.
—Charlie Wood, WIRED, 14 Apr. 2024
The video also showed a distant figure, identified by police as Boswell, shining a light on the group before being shot.
—Miguel Torres, The Arizona Republic, 13 Apr. 2024
Deanna Pai, Vogue, 25 Apr. 2024
It's formulated with seven restorative oils that deliver shine, shea butter for deep skin conditioning, and glycerin for hydration that lasts until your next shower.
—Nikhita Mahtani, Allure, 22 Apr. 2024
A little dewy, without any greasy, sunscreen-y shine.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 19 Apr. 2024
The shine of Varadkar’s government wore off during his second stint as taoiseach; Harris inherits a governing coalition facing a difficult fight to return to office.
—Rob Picheta, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
The shine is fun, although not something a lot of people will probably get into.
—Ryan J. Rusak, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 2024
The best setting powders can help seal in your foundation, keep shine under control, and leave your skin with a soft-focus finish.
—Clare Holden, Glamour, 2 Apr. 2024
The shine is off the apple, at least among this set.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2024
The shine was off Calipari’s tenure in Lexington years ago.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 25 Mar. 2024
Verb
The 28-year-old British singer-songwriter shined in a custom Chanel gown at the Time100 Gala, which took place in New York City on Thursday, April 25.
—Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 26 Apr. 2024
Make your dishes shine To make your ceramic dishware look like new:
Rise your dish with water.
—USA TODAY, 25 Apr. 2024
For that matter, would a single shining sentence of Updike’s really have been different with another editor?
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2024
Reality Check is a Sacramento Bee series holding officials and organizations accountable and shining a light on their decisions.
—Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 24 Apr. 2024
But, turns out, that’s still not nearly enough to get the U.K. a shining review.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 24 Apr. 2024
The spotlight shined on great literature Friday night at the 44th Los Angeles Times Book Prizes ceremony at USC’s Bovard Auditorium, where winners took the stage to celebrate their honors and, in some cases, call attention to the free speech controversy unfolding on campus.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
The experiments literally shine a new light on the proton.
—Charlie Wood, WIRED, 14 Apr. 2024
The video also showed a distant figure, identified by police as Boswell, shining a light on the group before being shot.
—Miguel Torres, The Arizona Republic, 13 Apr. 2024
Noun
For those seeking shine alongside strength, this pre-shampoo treatment draws from the Ayurvedic tradition of hair oiling, delivering moisture and a glossy finish with a blend of sunflower seed and jasmine oils.
—Deanna Pai, Vogue, 25 Apr. 2024
It's formulated with seven restorative oils that deliver shine, shea butter for deep skin conditioning, and glycerin for hydration that lasts until your next shower.
—Nikhita Mahtani, Allure, 22 Apr. 2024
A little dewy, without any greasy, sunscreen-y shine.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 19 Apr. 2024
The shine of Varadkar’s government wore off during his second stint as taoiseach; Harris inherits a governing coalition facing a difficult fight to return to office.
—Rob Picheta, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
The shine is fun, although not something a lot of people will probably get into.
—Ryan J. Rusak, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 2024
The best setting powders can help seal in your foundation, keep shine under control, and leave your skin with a soft-focus finish.
—Clare Holden, Glamour, 2 Apr. 2024
The shine is off the apple, at least among this set.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2024
The shine was off Calipari’s tenure in Lexington years ago.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 25 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.
Dictionary Entries Near shine
Cite this Entry
“Shine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shine. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shine
1 of 2 verb
shone
ˈshōn 
or shined; shining
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
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