outshine

verb

out·​shine ˌau̇t-ˈshīn 

outshone ˌau̇t-ˈshōn 

especially British -ˈshän

or outshined; outshining

transitive verb

1

a

: to shine brighter than

b

: to excel in splendor or showiness

But among foliage tourists, peak means one day that will outshine all others.

—Madeline Drexler

2

: outdo, surpass

… a self-made man with an ego that outshone his rhinestone-bedazzled … suits.

—Sarah Smarsh

intransitive verb

: to shine out

Synonyms of outshine

• surpass
• exceed
• eclipse
• better
• top

Examples of outshine in a Sentence

She outshines all the other actors in the film.

the trumpeter outshines all of his fellow band members

Recent Examples on the Web

Trekking company Ian Taylor Trekking calls it one of the best treks in the world on the company blog, noting that the ruins, passes and camp moments often outshine the final destination. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026

That's good news for stargazers, as the moon will still be visible without outshining the planets nearby. — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 10 July 2026

At those temperatures, the photosphere outshines the corona only because the plasma in the corona is so sparsely distributed. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 7 July 2026

That limits his position flexibility, which might make his roster spot difficult to hold onto if four other receivers outshine him. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for outshine

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• brucine
• byline

Kids Definition

outshine

verb

out·​shine (ˈ)au̇t-ˈshīn 

outshone -ˈshōn  ; outshining

1

: to shine brighter than

2

: excel, surpass