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

In the 1990s, Elizabeth Hurley and her bold color choices proved confidence could outshine sequins. —Alex Badia, Footwear News, 22 Feb. 2026

Where the Thule really outshines the competition is its sleek Scandinavian look, durable design, and lightning-fast fold. —Erica Zazo, Outside, 20 Feb. 2026

Turnout on the second day of early voting in Tarrant County outshined the already impressive number of ballots cast on Day One of the primary races. —Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Feb. 2026

The quiet ethic often called Minnesota Nice is outshining the intimidation meant to silence dissent. —Valeng Cha, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 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
• byline
• canine

Kids Definition

outshine

verb

out·​shine (ˈ)au̇t-ˈshīn 

outshone -ˈshōn  ; outshining

1

: to shine brighter than

2

: excel, surpass